STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2094

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3016

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 3016 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE UNIFORM INFORMATION PRACTICES ACT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal the confidentiality protection afforded under the Uniform Information Practices Act for certain information regarding misconduct of police officers that results in suspension.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Resources Development, Office of Information Practices, Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, The Civil Beat Law Center for Public Interest, and ten individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers.

     Your Committee finds that full and fair public disclosure of police misconduct is beneficial to law enforcement agencies and departments in their service to the public.  For that reason, exemptions to disclosure must be carefully scrutinized to ensure that the interests that they further are not outweighed by the public interest in transparency.  Although your Committee recognizes the importance of this issue, further discussion and examination are required.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3016, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3016, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair