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SB2849
THE SENATE
S.B. NO.
2849
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.
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The
legislature recognizes that the core purpose of public meeting agendas is to
inform the public of the specific matters to be addressed by government
agencies, thereby ensuring transparency and promoting civic participation.
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The legislature finds that current agency
practice often places extensive administrative and procedural provisions,
including quorum requirements, rules governing remote participation, and
testimony procedures, before the substantive agenda items.
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This practice requires members of the public
to review several pages of introductory text before determining a meeting's
relevance.
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The legislature believes that
this lengthy structural arrangement creates an unnecessary barrier to public
review and disproportionately affects individuals with disabilities, including persons
having mobility impairments and persons using screen reading software, who must
navigate excessive non-substantive text to access the core content.
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Crucial information regarding reasonable
accommodation instructions is often obscured, sometimes appearing on the final
page of lengthy documents.
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This may
prevent persons with disabilities from requesting necessary assistance in a
timely manner.
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The legislature finds that simplifying the
structure of public meeting notices by prioritizing substantive content and
accommodation instructions will ensure that the most critical information is
immediately available to all members of the public.
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This will promote equitable access and open
government.
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Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to
require certain information to appear at the beginning of notices for public
meetings.
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SECTION
2
.
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Section 92-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
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(a)
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The board shall give written public notice of any regular, special,
emergency, or rescheduled meeting, or any executive meeting when anticipated in
advance.
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The
beginning of the
notice
shall include an agenda that lists all of the items to be considered at the
forthcoming meeting; the date, time, and place of the meeting;
a statement
of where the board packet, as described in section 92-7.5, may be viewed in
person and the location of the board packet on the internet;
the board
'
s
electronic and postal contact information for submission of testimony before
the meeting; instructions on how to request an auxiliary aid or service or an
accommodation due to a disability, including a response deadline, if one is
provided, that is reasonable; and in the case of an executive meeting, the
purpose shall be stated.
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If an item to
be considered is the proposed adoption, amendment, or repeal of administrative
rules, an agenda meets the requirements for public notice pursuant to this
section if it contains a statement on the topic of the proposed rules or a
general description of the subjects involved, as described in section
91-3(a)(1)(A), and a statement of when and where the proposed rules may be
viewed in person and on the Internet as provided in section 91-2.6.
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The means specified by this section shall be
the only means required for giving notice under this part notwithstanding any
law to the contrary."
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SECTION 3.
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This Act does
not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and
proceedings that were begun before its effective date.
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SECTION
4.
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New statutory material is
underscored.
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SECTION 5.
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This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
Public
Agencies; Meetings; Notices; Disabilities; Readability
Description:
Requires
certain information to appear at the beginning of notices for public meetings.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.