STAND. COM. REP. NO. 23

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 274

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 274 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to enhance government transparency and access to records in contested cases under the Hawaii Administrative Procedure Act.

Life of the Land, Community Alliance on Prisons, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and an individual testified in support of this measure. The Department of Health testified in opposition. The Department of the Attorney General, Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Department of Human Services, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Hawaii Labor Relations Board provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the listed open cases and accessible documents be cases and documents that are not confidential by law;

(2) Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 274, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 274, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

AARON LING JOHANSON, Chair