STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2275

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3282

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 3282 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GOVERNMENT RECORDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Comptroller to direct the disposition of records and adopt rules regarding the transfer, retention, and destruction of records; and

(2) Appropriate funds for the staffing, operating costs, and equipment required to execute the transfer of records authorized by the Comptroller.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services and Hawaii State Archives. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that state departments and agencies are required by law to maintain certain records for a certain period of time. On-site storage, however, is more expensive and inefficient than offsite, centralized bulk storage. Your Committee further finds that the lack of physical transportation capability is an existing limitation on transferring agency and department records to offsite storage.

Your Committee additionally finds that the Hawaii State Archives is tasked with, among other things, assisting departments and agencies in complying with legal retention requirements. This measure, as noted by testimony, authorizes the Comptroller to issue uniform rules, which will facilitate the transfer of records to centralized bulk storage and help departments and agencies comply with records retention requirements.

Accordingly, your Committee finds that this measure provides the authority and the funds required to physically transfer records out of department and agency offices across the State and into centralized bulk storage. This centralization will free up office space for more productive use and facilitate the eventual destruction of certain records pursuant to law. For additional cost-efficient disposition of records, your Committee also encourages the Comptroller to adopt rules to facilitate the digitization of records.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3282 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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SHARON MORIWAKI, Chair