Authorizes legislative standing committees to hold videoconference public hearings; establishes notice and other procedural requirements.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. Chapter 21, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§21- Legislative committee public hearings by videoconference; notice; quorum. (a) A legislative committee may hold a public hearing by videoconference; provided that the videoconference system used by the committee shall allow both audio and visual interaction between members of the committee and members of the public attending the hearing at any videoconference location. A public hearing may be held by viodeoconference only with the approval of the committee's chairperson.

(b) The hearing notice required by the rules of the house of representatives and the senate shall specify all locations at which committee members will be deemed physically present during a viodeconference legislative committee hearing. The notice shall also specify that the public may attend the meeting at any of the specified locations.

(c) A public hearing held by videoconference shall be terminated only if the audio and video communication cannot be maintained with all locations during the testimony of members of the public and the questioning of public testifiers by the committee members, even if a quorum of the committee is physically present in a single location. If all public testimony has been given and members of the public have been questioned by the committee members and the audio and video combination of the public hearing is lost after public testimony and any questioning of the committee is completed, the committee shall be allowed to continue the discussion at issue on the public hearing and to reach a conclusion despite the loss of audio and video."

SECTION 2. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.