Bill Text: HI SB2737 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended
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
STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2114
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 2737
Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui
President of the Senate
Twenty-Sixth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2012
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 2737 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC MEETINGS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the State's Sunshine Law to allow board and commission meetings to be conducted by any form of interactive conference technology that permits interaction by audio, or audio and visual means, provided that:
(1) All members of a board and the public are able to interact with each other at least by audio communication;
(2) The public is given notice of all the locations at which board members will be participating in the meeting, and the public may join members to participate in the meeting at those locations; and
(3) An agenda item may not be considered if any meeting location is connected by audio only technology, and copies of all visual aids brought or used to consider that item on the agenda are not available at all meeting locations within fifteen minutes after audio only technology is being used.
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; High Technology Development Corporation; Office of Information Management & Technology; Office of Information Practices; Department of Planning and Permitting, County of Honolulu; The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; Building Industry Association of Hawaii; and three individuals.
Your Committee 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 further finds that this measure will allow board members to participate in their boards' meetings from locations closer to their homes, offices, or other locations.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2737 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development and Technology,
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____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair |
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