Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 944, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to expand the law on public meetings by videoconference to encompass public meetings by interactive multimedia method.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii, being an island state, is particularly problematic in terms of enabling all of its citizens to participate in public meetings. Allowing meetings by videoconference has permitted participation by those in other counties and those unable to travel. As the world of communications expands, it is important to keep up with feasible technologies and not limit access to only one technology.

Your Committee has amended this bill by restoring subsection (d) from the original bill that permits a board to select a single site as a primary meeting site and be required to post an agenda and accept testimony at that site.

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. 944, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 944, S.D. 2.