STAND. COM. REP. NO.  702-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2216

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2216 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC AGENCY MEETINGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide public officials with more flexibility in conducting public business by allowing any number of public board members constituting less than a quorum of the board to discuss official board business outside of a duly noticed public meeting, to enable the members to perform their duties faithfully and as long as no commitment to vote is made or sought.

     The Maui County Council, a member of the Maui County Council, a member of the Honolulu City Council, two members of the Kauai County Council, and the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission testified in support of this bill.  The League of Women Voters of Hawaii opposed this measure.  The Office of Information Practices submitted comments.

     Your Committee notes that, while this measure addresses the general issue of permitted interactions between members of a public board, H.B. No. 1968, which is also being considered by your Committee, addresses this matter within more specific contexts.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing its effective date to January 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2216, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2216, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair