STAND. COM. REP. NO. 671-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1597

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1597 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OPEN MEETINGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Provide a specific right of action to challenge decisions of the Office of Information Practices relating to the State's open meetings law; and

(2) Align the enforcement mechanisms for the State's open meetings law with the State's Uniform Information Practices Act.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Information Practices; Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter; and Public First Law Center.

Your Committee finds that there is not a clear statutory path for a person to challenge the decisions of the Office of Information Practices related to open meetings laws and access to an agency's records. This measure is intended to better align the enforcement mechanisms for the State's open meetings law with the State's Uniform Information Practices Act.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, 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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1597, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1597, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair