Bill Text: HI SB2737 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Sunshine Law; Board Meetings; Notice of Board Meetings

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2012-07-06 - (S) Act 202, 7/3/2012 (Gov. Msg. No. 1305). [SB2737 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2012-SB2737-Amended.html

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CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 96-12

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2012

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2737

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sirs:

 

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2737, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC MEETINGS,"

 

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Authorize the use of interactive conference technology to increase the ability of members of state and county boards and commissions and the public to participate in or attend board meetings; and

 

     (2)  Clarify the requirements regarding the availability of visual aids where audio-only interactive conference technology is being used.

 

     Your Committee on Conference finds that this measure will reduce the instances in which a board is unable to conduct business and the public is foreclosed from participating in government for lack of a quorum.  As volunteers, most members of state and county boards and commissions have obligations that from time to time prevent them from attending a board meeting.  More often, however, travel time to and from a board meeting is what keeps them from attending a meeting.  Your Committee on Conference finds that this measure will allow board members to participate in their boards' meetings from locations closer to their homes, offices, or other locations.

 

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Authorizing a board member with a disability that limits or impairs the member's ability to physically attend the meeting to participate in a board meeting from a location not accessible to the public; provided that the member with a disability is connected to other members of the board and the public by both visual and audio means, and the member identifies where the member is located and who, if anyone, is present at that location with the member;

 

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2012; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2737, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2737, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

 

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

 

____________________________ GILBERT KEITH-AGARAN, Co-Chair		____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair
____________________________ JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA, Co-Chair		____________________________ CLAYTON HEE, Co-Chair