STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2753

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2898

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Government Operations and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2898 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC NOTICES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow government agencies to publish public notices on their official website in lieu of or in addition to hardcopy publications, such as newspapers.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health, Department of Taxation, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, and the Department of Planning and Permitting, City and County of Honolulu. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of Information Practices and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committees find that newspaper readership is declining, and the cost of newspaper publication is increasing. Your Committees further find that that declining newspaper readership can be attributed to increased readership of publications online. According to testimony received by your Committees, allowing public notices to be published online will accommodate public preference and increase public visibility on a more accessible platform.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the language to clarify that the electronic posting must be on a central government website used for giving legal notice;

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

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

Your Committees also note concerns raised by testimony in opposition to this measure, namely that the publication of a public notice online may reduce the visibility of the notice to individuals with disabilities, kupuna, and citizens without access to broadband internet. Your Committees request that the Committee on Ways and Means take these concerns into consideration upon hearing this measure.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Government Operations and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2898, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2898, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Government Operations and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ LAURA H. THIELEN, Chair