STAND. COM. REP. NO. 267-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 2583
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Economic Development and Business
Concerns, to which was referred H.B. No. 2583 entitled: 

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to eliminate an unnecessary rule
requirement regarding videoconferenced board meetings by
allowing, rather than requiring, boards to adopt rules in
accordance with the Hawaii Administrative Procedure Law when
prescribing additional procedures for conducting meetings by
videoconference.

     The Office of the Lieutenant Governor (Office), the
Department of the Attorney General, the Office of Information
Practices, the University of Hawaii, Common Cause Hawaii, and an
individual testified in support of this measure.  Comments were
submitted by Life of the Land and an individual.

     The Office testified that this bill is part of a package of
bills being recommended for action by the Office's "Slice Waste
and Tape" (SWAT) reform initiative to reduce the regulatory
burdens on businesses and to improve government efficiency.

     In 1994, the Legislature recognized that allowing boards and
commissions to hold meetings by videoconference would increase
public access to board meetings, reduce costs, and help
government operate more efficiently and effectively.  Act 121,
Session Laws of Hawaii 1994, codified as Section 92-3.5, Hawaii

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 267-00
                                 Page 2

 
Revised Statutes (HRS), permits boards to meet by videoconference
and provides specific requirements for holding meetings.
However, the law requires that any board wishing to hold meetings
by videoconference first adopt unspecified additional rules
pursuant to the Hawaii Administrative Procedure Law.  Your
Committee notes that, to date, no board has gone through the
rulemaking process to adopt additional rules for holding meetings
by videoconference.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring that board meeting notices specify that the
          public may attend videoconferenced board meetings at
          any of the specified meeting locations, rather than
          allowing boards to adopt rules in accordance with the
          Hawaii Administrative Procedure Law to prescribe
          additional procedures for conducting meetings by
          videoconference; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity
          and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Economic Development and Business Concerns that is
attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the
intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2583, as amended herein, and
recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached
hereto as H.B. No. 2583, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee
on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Economic
                                   Development and Business
                                   Concerns,



                                   ______________________________
                                   ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair