Bill Text: HI SB2859 | 2012 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Sunshine Law; Permitted Interactions; Notice
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2012-06-29 - (S) Act 177, 6/28/2012 (Gov. Msg. No. 1280). [SB2859 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2012-SB2859-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2859 |
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TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
H.D. 1 |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO OPEN GOVERNMENT.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Section 92-2.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§92-2.5 Permitted interactions of members. (a) Two members of a board may discuss between themselves matters relating to official board business to enable them to perform their duties faithfully, as long as no commitment to vote is made or sought and the two members do not constitute a quorum of their board.
(b) Two or more members of a board, but less than the number of members which would constitute a quorum for the board, may be assigned to:
(1) Investigate a matter relating to the official business of their board; provided that:
(A) The scope of the investigation and the scope of each member's authority are defined at a meeting of the board;
(B) All resulting findings and recommendations are presented to the board at a meeting of the board; and
(C) Deliberation and decisionmaking on the matter investigated, if any, occurs only at a duly noticed meeting of the board held subsequent to the meeting at which the findings and recommendations of the investigation were presented to the board; or
(2) Present, discuss, or negotiate any position which the board has adopted at a meeting of the board; provided that the assignment is made and the scope of each member's authority is defined at a meeting of the board prior to the presentation, discussion, or negotiation.
(c) Discussions between two or more members of a board, but less than the number of members which would constitute a quorum for the board, concerning the selection of the board's officers may be conducted in private without limitation or subsequent reporting.
(d) Board members present at a meeting that must be canceled for lack of quorum or terminated pursuant to section 92-3.5(c) may nonetheless receive testimony and presentations on items on the agenda and question the testifiers or presenters; provided that:
(1) Deliberation or decisionmaking on any item, for which testimony or presentations are received, occurs only at a duly noticed meeting of the board held subsequent to the meeting at which the testimony and presentations were received;
(2) The members present shall create a record of the oral testimony or presentations in the same manner as would be required by section 92-9 for testimony or presentations heard during a meeting of the board; and
(3) Before its deliberation or decisionmaking at a subsequent meeting, the board shall:
(A) Provide copies of the testimony and presentations received at the canceled meeting to all members of the board; and
(B) Receive a report by the members that were present at the canceled or terminated meeting about the testimony and presentations received.
(e) Two or more members of a board, but less than the number of members which would constitute a quorum for the board, may attend an informational meeting or presentation on matters relating to official board business, including a meeting of another entity, legislative hearing, convention, seminar, or community meeting; provided that the meeting or presentation is not specifically and exclusively organized for or directed toward members of the board. The board members in attendance may participate in discussions, including discussions among themselves; provided that the discussions occur during and as part of the informational meeting or presentation; and provided further that no commitment relating to a vote on the matter is made or sought.
At the next duly noticed meeting of the board, the board members shall report their attendance and the matters presented and discussed that related to official board business at the informational meeting or presentation.
(f) From July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2016 only, two or more members of a board, but less than the number of members which would constitute a quorum for the board, may participate in a discussion on a social media website about matters relating to official board business; provided that the board has previously adopted a policy on the use of social media and no commitment to vote is made or sought and the discussion on the social media website:
(1) Is accessible at any time to any member of the public via the Internet;
(2) Allows participation by interested members of the public; and
(3) Remains available for public viewing for a reasonable period of time on the social media website.
Upon request by any person, the board shall provide a list of all board members using social media and the social media addresses or identifications used for discussions subject to this subsection by those members.
For the purpose of this subsection, "social media website" means a website that facilitates social interaction among an unlimited number of persons for the purposes of friendship, meeting other persons, or information exchanges, and allows persons using the website to communicate with other users.
[(d)] (g) Discussions between the
governor and one or more members of a board may be conducted in private without
limitation or subsequent reporting; provided that the discussion does not
relate to a matter over which a board is exercising its adjudicatory function.
[(e)] (h) Discussions between two
or more members of a board and the head of a department to which the board is
administratively assigned may be conducted in private without limitation;
provided that the discussion is limited to matters specified in section 26-35.
[(f)] (i) Communications,
interactions, discussions, investigations, and presentations described in this
section are not meetings for purposes of this part."
SECTION 2. Section 92-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
"(a) The board shall give written public notice of any regular, special, or rescheduled meeting, or any executive meeting when anticipated in advance. The notice shall include an agenda which lists all of the items to be considered at the forthcoming meeting, the date, time, and place of the meeting, and in the case of an executive meeting the purpose shall be stated. The means specified by this section shall be the only means required for giving notice under this part notwithstanding any law to the contrary."
SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2012.
Report Title:
Sunshine Law; Permitted Interactions; Notice
Description:
Allows board and commission members to hear testimony for a meeting canceled for lack of quorum, to attend informational meetings, and for a four-year period to discuss board business via social media. Effective July 1, 2012. (SB2859 HD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
