STAND. COM. REP. NO. 315

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 405

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 405 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD MEETINGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow neighborhood boards to receive and discuss information from third‑party reports by a government official not included in a publicly noticed agenda; provided that decisions on matters raised by third-party reports shall be made at later meetings preceded by a public agenda giving notice of the decision-making.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from two individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Information Practices.

Your Committee finds that neighborhood boards play a central role in community development and coordinating local responses to issues. An efficient local response is often the best means of protecting the public interest, making it vital that boards are able to consider new information as it arises. Your Committee further recognizes that Sunshine Laws are critical to protecting the public interest and preventing corruption through transparency. This measure balances these interests by allowing neighborhood boards to hear third-party reports from government officials not included in a publicly noticed agenda but requiring any votes on matters raised to be held at later properly noticed meetings.

Your Committee notes the concerns expressed by the Office of Information Practices that the tradeoff necessitated by the exception to Sunshine Law provided in this measure may negatively impact the public by not requiring notice for all topics to be discussed in a public meeting. Your Committee finds that this issue raises concerns that merit further consideration and respectfully requests that subsequent Committees to which this measure is referred examine the issues and concerns raised by the testimony.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2491, to encourage further discussion.

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. 405, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 405, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair