Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Science, Arts, and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 2955 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow public meetings conducted by video teleconferencing to continue by audio communication in the event video connectivity is interrupted or stopped.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hawaii Health Systems, and three members of the Maui County Council testified in favor in the measure. Comments were received from the Office of Information Practices.

Your Committee finds that allowing public meetings to continue by audio communication whenever it is not feasible to utilize video teleconferencing would enable a larger segment of Hawaii's populace, especially citizens located on the neighbor islands, to participate in public meetings. Further, the audio communication option prevents public meetings from being disrupted or cancelled due to technology malfunctions and allows deliberative decision making to take place as scheduled.

Your Committee has amended the bill by setting forth specific requirements by which public meetings may be conducted by audio communication in the event video connectivity is interrupted or stopped and visual aids are part of the presentation to be given at a public meeting.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Science, Arts, and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2955, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2955, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.