STAND. COM. REP. NO.  264

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1547

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Legislative Management, to which was referred H.B. No. 1547 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REMOTE TESTIMONY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase the available methods of public participation in the legislative process by establishing the Remote Testimony Task Force (Task Force) to develop procedures to make remote testimony technology, via the Internet, available throughout the State.

The Department of Health; Office of Enterprise Technology Services; Common Cause Hawaii; Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Office of Information Practices and Hawaii Disability Rights Center provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying the open meetings and records exemptions of the Task Force under chapters 92 and 92F, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

     (2)  Specifying that the Task Force shall be composed of a list of members or their designees;

     (3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2088, to encourage further discussion; and

     (4)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     Your Committee acknowledges the concerns raised by the Office of Information Practices regarding the exemptions from chapters 92 and 92F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and notes that the Task Force is charged with the duty of making recommendations to the Legislature and the result of their work shall be open and vetted by the public as it attempts to progress through the legislative process.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Legislative Management that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1547, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1547, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Legislative Management,

____________________________

BERTRAND KOBAYASHI, Chair