STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2604

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2233

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2233, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTRONIC INFORMATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow government agencies, when required to give public notice or publish notice, to give the notice by electronic or online publication on the centralized website of the State or the website of the affected county, as applicable.

     In addition, the measure appropriates unspecified sums for:

     (1)  The operational expenses of the Office of Information Management and Technology; and

     (2)  Support services by the Hawaii State Public Library System for the public to access and print information from the centralized website of the State.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of Information Management and Technology and the Hawaii State Public Library System.  Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from Midweek and Oahu Publications.  The Judiciary submitted written comments on this measure.

     Your Committee finds that requiring government agencies to give public notice in a daily or weekly publication is costly and does not take full advantage of enhancements in communications technology.  This measure allows government agencies to give notice on state or county websites, as appropriate, which will provide significant cost savings for state and county governments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the affidavit of the appropriate county representative shall be proof of publication via the website of the affected county;

     (2)  Clarifying that if the notice is published on the website of the affected county, the public notice shall include information or links to other locations of the electronic or online notice; and

     (3)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 2233, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2233, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair