STAND. COM. REP. NO. 872

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 55

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 Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 55, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ADMINISTRATIVE RULES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require all state agencies to make the full text of their rules available on the website of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor in a digitally accessible and searchable format that meets or exceeds certain federal standards.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Public First Law Center, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, Life of the Land, and five individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

Your Committee finds that it is critical to increase transparency in agency rulemaking processes across all entities of the State. In order to allow for more public engagement, increasing the availability of administrative rules, which administer many aspects of life for Hawaii residents, it is imperative for the State to designate requisites for the dissemination of governmental information. Due to the significance of administrative rules, your Committee believes that it is necessary to address the lack of a platform that would make it possible for the public to track proposed changes to any agency's administrative rules. Accordingly, this measure will align the State's commitment to governmental transparency through the creation of a statewide system to increase accessibility for each state agency's rules.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 55, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair