STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2541

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2353
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B.
No. 2353, S.D. 1, entitled:

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF INFORMATION
     PRACTICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to make the Office of
Information Practices a permanent agency in the Ombudsman's
office.

     Your Committee finds that finding a permanent home for the
Office of Information Practices is an important role for the
Legislature at this time when public confidence in open
government and access to public records can be eroded in much the
same manner as the public's interest in the election process.
Records of all kinds are collected and maintained by government
offices in pursuit of legal and official history.  The Office of
Information Practices has been instrumental in assuring access to
records as well as protecting the privacy of individuals in
certain records under certain conditions.  These protections
should be continued and can only be assured if the Office of
Information Practices continues as a public entity.  As a
legislative service agency, the Ombudsman's office is a
comfortable fit for the functions of the Office of Information
Practices.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2541
                                   Page 2


     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
2353, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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