The Law Center submitted the following testimony during the 2016 legislative session.  The descriptions of each bill were copied from the Capitol website.

H.B. 369

Broadens the policies regarding open government to include greater public participation, input, and access to documents, reports, and proposals under consideration at meetings, with certain limitations.

• House Committee on Judiciary (supporting)

H.B. 1565

Removes a record of complaint as a type of information that is subject to disclosure as a public document.

• House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce (opposing)

H.B. 2343

Brings state law into alignment with changes to federal law regarding the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Public Law 113-186. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish minimum health and safety requirements for child care providers, including applicants, household members, employees, and prospective employees of licensed and registered child care homes and facilities, as well as persons exempt pursuant to section 346-152, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to be eligible to provide care to a child whose family receives a child care subsidy from the Department.

• Joint House Committees on Human Services and on Health (supporting proposed DHS revision)

H.B. 2383

Amends chapter 353E, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), to reflect nationally recognized best practices in the statewide, integrated programming for sex offenders, and to identify the coordinating body for the sex offender treatment program as the “sex offender management team.” Exempts the statewide integrated sex offender treatment program from the requirements of chapter 92, HRS.

• House Committee on Judiciary (opposing broad Sunshine provision)

H.B. 2414

Provides express legal authority to enable the University of Hawaii to create, promote, and participate in new economic enterprises that use university research and provide workforce opportunities for affiliated university personnel.

• House Committee on Higher Education (opposing)

S.B. 2121

Permits members of a county council to jointly attend and speak at a community, educational, or informational meeting or presentation; provided the meeting or presentation is open to the public.

• Joint Senate Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and on Judiciary and Labor (opposing)

S.B. 2195

Requires the state sheriff division to submit yearly reports on sheriff and deputy sheriff misconduct to the legislature. Requires county police departments and the state sheriff division to post those reports on their public websites.

• Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs (supporting)

S.B. 2196

Establishes the law enforcement officer independent review board within the department of the attorney general to investigate incidents of officer-involved death or serious bodily injury. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2076. (SD2)

• Senate Committee on Ways and Means (opposing confidentiality provision)
• House Committee on Judiciary (opposing confidentiality provision)

S.B. 2293

Allows the electronic mailing and posting of meeting notices; requires the posting of the notice on the state or appropriate county websites; and increases public access to information before a public hearing by a board.

• Senate Committee on Government Operations (supporting)

S.B. 2411

Establishes requirements, restrictions, and implementation timelines for body-worn cameras and vehicle cameras for county police departments. Appropriates funds as a grant-in-aid to each county for the purchase of body-worn video cameras and law enforcement vehicle cameras subject to dollar-for-dollar match by the county. Requires each county receiving funds to report to the Legislature. (SB2411 HD1)

• Joint Senate Committees on Judiciary and Labor and on Ways and Means (opposing confidentiality provision)
• House Committee on Judiciary (opposing confidentiality provision)
• House Committee on Finance (supporting with comments on confidentiality provision)

S.B. 2427

Authorizes members of the historic places review board to visit sites without regard to open meetings requirements.

• Joint Senate Committees on Higher Education and the Arts and on Water, Land, and Agriculture (commenting)

S.B. 2872

Brings state law into alignment with changes to federal law regarding the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Public Law 113-186. Requires the Department of Human Services to establish minimum health and safety requirements for child care providers, including applicants, household members, employees, and prospective employees of licensed and registered child care homes and facilities, as well as persons exempt pursuant to section 346-152, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to be eligible to provide care to a child whose family receives a child care subsidy from the Department.

• Joint Senate Committees on Human Services and on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health (commenting)

S.B. 2912

Amends chapter 353E, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), to reflect nationally recognized best practices in the statewide, integrated program for sex offenders, and to identify the coordinating body for the sex offender treatment program as the “sex offender management team”. Exempts the statewide integrated sex offender treatment program from the requirements of chapter 92, HRS. Takes effect on 1/7/2059. (SD2)

• Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs (commenting)
• Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor (opposing broad Sunshine provision)
• House Committee on Judiciary (opposing broad Sunshine provision)

S.B. 2943

Provides express legal authority to enable the University of Hawaii to create, promote, and participate in new economic enterprises that use university research and provide workforce opportunities for affiliated university personnel.

• Joint Senate Committees on Higher Education and the Arts; on Economic Development, Environment, and Technology; and on Judiciary and Labor (opposing)

S.B. 3016

Allows disclosure of government records in cases where a police officer has been suspended or discharged in a disciplinary action.

• Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs (supporting)