STAND. COM. REP. NO. 100

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 157

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Reform, to which was referred H.B. No. 157 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC AGENCY MEETINGS AND RECORDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize any board, subject to the State's Sunshine Law to hold a closed executive meeting to consider statements and information obtained from witnesses or victims during the course of any investigation into the hire, evaluation, dismissal, or discipline of an officer or employee or of charges brought against the officer or employee, where consideration of matters affecting a witness's or victim's privacy will be involved.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Mayor of the County of Maui. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Information Practices.

Your Committee finds that investigations by a government agency into the hire, evaluation, dismissal, or discipline of government officers or employees or charges against government officers or employees may involve victims and witnesses who are supervised by the government officer or employee being investigated or charged. This measure will encourage victims and other witnesses of misconduct by government officers and employees to testify before government agencies by protecting victims' and witnesses' privacy and reducing the fear of threats and retaliation.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Reform that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 157, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 157, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Reform,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair