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SB2449
THE SENATE
S.B. NO.
2449
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING
TO PUBLIC MEETINGS
.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
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SECTION
1
.
�
Section
92-2
, Hawaii
Revised Statutes, is amended by adding
two
new definition
s
to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:
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"
"Business
day" means Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays designated
under section 8-1 and observed pursuant to section 8-2,
unless
otherwise
determined by the chief executive pursuant to section 78-1.6.
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"Chief
executive" has the same meaning as defined in section 76-11.
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SECTION
2
.
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Section 92-7.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:
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"�9
2-7.5
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Board packet; filing; public inspection; notice.
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(a)
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At
the time the board packet is distributed to the board members, but no later
than three full business days before the meeting, the board shall also make the
board packet available for public inspection in the board's office
[
;
]
during
regular business hours;
provided that nothing in this section shall
require creation of a board packet; provided further that nothing in this
section shall prohibit the distribution of public testimony to board members
before the meeting.
�
At the time the
board packet is made available for public inspection in the board's office, the
board shall provide notice to persons who have requested notification of
meetings pursuant to section 92-7(e) that includes a list of the documents that
were compiled by the board and distributed to the board members before a
meeting for use at that meeting and that the board packet is available for
inspection in the board's office and shall provide reasonably prompt access to
the board packet to any person upon request.
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The board shall not be required to mail board packets.
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As soon as practicable, the board shall
accommodate requests for electronic access to the board packet and shall post
the board packet on its website.
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(b)
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For purposes of this section:
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"Board
packet" means documents that are compiled by the board and distributed to
board members before a meeting for use at that meeting, to the extent the
documents are public under chapter 92F; provided that this section shall not
require disclosure of executive session minutes, license applications, or other
records for which the board cannot reasonably complete its redaction of
nonpublic information in the time available before the public inspection
required by this section.
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[
"Business day" has the same
meaning as defined in section 11-1.
]
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"Regular
business hours" means between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on
business days, unless otherwise determined by the chief executive pursuant to
section 78-1.6.
"
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SECTION
3
.
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Statutory material to be
repealed is bracketed and stricken.
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New
statutory material is underscored.
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SECTION
4
.
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This Act shall take effect
on July 1, 2026.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
Public Meetings; Business Days; Board Packets; Public
Inspection; Regular Business
Hours
Description:
Defines "business day" as used in Part I of
Chapter 92, HRS, governing public meetings.
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Clarifies
that board
packets, if created, shall be made available for public inspection in the
board's office during regular business hours, no later than three full business
days before the public meeting.
�
Defines
"regular business hours".
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not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.