WHEREAS, an informed electorate is key to citizen participation in a successful democracy; and

WHEREAS, informed elected representatives are necessary for the operation of a successful democratic government; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Constitution sets forth numerous procedural requirements regarding the introduction, reading, and adoption of bills that are intended to keep both citizens and their elected representatives informed so that they may participate effectively in legislative proceedings; and

WHEREAS, the House of Representatives likewise has adopted rules of procedure that are intended to provide members with notice of the content of bills before action is taken; and

WHEREAS, House Rule 36.1 provides, in pertinent part, that "[n]o bill shall pass third or final reading in the House unless printed copies of the bill in the form to be passed have been made available to members of the House for at least forty-eight hours"; and

WHEREAS, there is no requirement that a bill be listed on the Order of the Day for Final Reading when it is in the same form as passed on Third Reading; and

WHEREAS, bills have been placed before House members for Final Reading, even though not having been placed on the Order of the Day, by means of a motion to reconsider prior disagreement to amendments made by the Senate to House bills; and

WHEREAS, although bills placed before members for Final Reading by means of reconsideration of prior disagreement to Senate amendments to House bills may have been available in the form to be passed for more than the forty-eight hours as required by House Rule 36.1, presentation of bills in this manner deprives members of the opportunity to prepare for meaningful discussion and debate prior to voting on the bills; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that House Rule 36 is hereby amended by adding a new subparagraph to House Rule 36 to read as follows (proposed changes underlined):

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to all members of the House of Representatives.

Report Title:

Twenty-four Notice of Final Reading