HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

284

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

amending the rules of the house of representatives to require THAT all proposed drafts of bills and resolutions be provided simultaneously to members in both paper and electronic form.

 

 

WHEREAS, an informed electorate is key to citizen participation in a successful democracy; and

WHEREAS, informed elected representatives are necessary for the operation of a successful democratic government; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Constitution sets forth numerous procedural requirements regarding the introduction, reading, and adoption of bills that are intended to keep both citizens and their elected representatives informed so that they may participate effectively in legislative proceedings; and

WHEREAS, the House of Representatives likewise has adopted rules of procedure that are intended to provide members with notice of the content of bills before action is taken; and

WHEREAS, House Rule 11.5(1) requires that notice of standing committee meetings be given forty-eight hours in advance of the meeting, except upon good cause shown to the Speaker; and

WHEREAS, House Rule 11.6(2) requires a majority of committee members present to vote in favor of a measure for it to be reported out of committee; and

WHEREAS, committee chairs sometimes prepare and distribute proposed drafts of bills prior to the committee hearing or prior to decision making on a bill heard by the committee; and

WHEREAS, House rules do not, however, require that a proposed draft to be heard or voted upon be distributed either in paper or electronic form, or both, prior to the meeting; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that House Rule 11 is hereby amended by adding a new paragraph to read as follows (proposed changes underlined):

"11.61 Distribution of Proposed Drafts.

Whenever the chair of a standing committee distributes copies of a proposed draft of a measure to members prior to a meeting, whether for hearing or decision making, or both, the chair shall distribute simultaneously both a paper and an electronic copy of the proposed draft."; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to all members of the House of Representatives.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Rule Amendment; Proposed Drafts