Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2955, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize a public agency meeting that is being conducted via videoconference to continue its conferencing even if it loses its video communication; provided that certain conditions are met.

Specifically, this bill authorizes the meeting to continue only if all visual aids for the meeting are already provided to or readily transmittable within fifteen minutes to all participants at the meeting, or the items of the agenda relating to the visual aids can be omitted from the meeting.

Your Committee finds that present law authorizes public meetings held by videoconference. However, the meeting must be terminated if both audio and video communication are lost at any location where the meeting is held. Your Committee finds that the risk of having to cancel a meeting that is underway serves as a disincentive for agencies to conduct meetings by videoconference. This measure serves to balance an agency's duty to conduct its business efficiently with the public's right to participate meaningfully in agency meetings.

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. 2955, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.