WHEREAS, the Office of Information Practices was established in 1988 to implement and promote the public’s right to an open government; and

WHEREAS, MOYA DAVENPORT GRAY, Director of the Office of Information Practices from May 1995 to February 2003, has served Hawaii’s citizens with true purpose, courage, independence, and a global vision recognized by leaders around the nation –- all at a time of growing public frustration, large budget cuts, and the pursuit of a permanent and independent home; and

WHEREAS, MOYA DAVENPORT GRAY has been instrumental in keeping the office operating in the face of severe budget cuts, thus ensuring the public’s right to access government records and ensuring that decision-making within her office was open to the public, free from political taint and influence; and

WHEREAS, MOYA DAVENPORT GRAY's leadership of the Office of Information Practices has led to historic advances in government openness and accessibility in Hawaii, including a ten-day agency response rule for requests of government records, release of public documents held by private entities, a ban on contract agreements that limit public access rights, application of the open records law to organizations appointed by government officials, and a requirement that citizens may comment on any agenda item of all board and commission meetings; and

WHEREAS, MOYA DAVENPORT GRAY has shared her work in Hawaii with officials in other states and countries as a leader in the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws, as a panel speaker, moderator, and facilitator of conference programs in the area of freedom of information laws, as a promoter for the adoption of public records watchdog structures, and as a partner in developing Hawaii’s medical privacy law; and

WHEREAS, under her leadership, the Office of Information Practices has gained national and international stature through a series of accomplishments, including the adoption of public record policies throughout the United States, and

WHEREAS, since her tenure, the states of Indiana, Virginia and New Jersey, and the United Kingdom have all opened offices similar to Hawaii’s Office of Information Practices; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that this body hereby recognizes and commends MOYA DAVENPORT GRAY for exceptional service to this State and the nation, and extends its best wishes for continued success in all her future endeavors.

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