Report Title:

Public Access; Legislative Reference Bureau

Description:

Establishes the Legislative Reference Bureau as the legislature's educational and community outreach agency, with responsibility for the public access room, information and education program, and legislative broadcast program (LBP); repeals the chapter on public access; transfers to LRB funds appropriated to LBP.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1518

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to public access.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Hawaii is a leader among the states for encouraging citizens to participate in the legislative process. Hawaii’s public access room is the only room of its kind in any state capitol in the nation, and Hawaii was among the first legislatures to provide live television broadcasts of legislative proceedings.

The legislature further finds that a decade of experience has shown that public access programs, such as the public access room and the legislative broadcast program, enhance the quality and quantity of public involvement in the legislative process. These public access programs are trusted by the public and viewed as being conducted in a fair and nonpartisan manner.

In order to further improve the delivery of these and related programs, the legislature supports the establishment of a statutorily created public access and education program in the legislative reference bureau.

The purpose of this Act is to establish a public access and education program within the legislative reference bureau that includes the public access room, legislative information and education program, and the legislative broadcast program. This Act also repeals chapter 21G, Hawaii Revised Statutes, on public access, and transfers to the legislative reference bureau funds previously appropriated for the legislative broadcast program.

SECTION 2. Chapter 23G, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new part to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"Part    .  Public Access and Education Program

§   -A Public access and education program; established. There is established in the legislative reference bureau (bureau) a public access and education program. The purpose of the program shall be to:

(1) Encourage citizen participation in the legislative process;

(2) Conduct informational and educational programs for the public;

(3) Make available public-friendly facilities and services in the capitol;

(4) Provide easy access to legislative information;

(5) Assist visiting residents from the neighbor islands and rural Oahu; and

(6) Coordinate production of video and audio broadcasts for statewide programming on television channels and the Internet.

§   -B Public access room. The bureau shall maintain a public access room in the state capitol, in which members of the public shall be allowed to utilize various equipment, services, and facilities to enhance their ability to participate in the legislative process. The public access room shall maintain a copy of current legislation and testimony for public use and shall make special provisions for residents visiting from the neighbor islands.

§   -C Information and education program. The bureau shall provide information and education about the legislature, the legislative process, and ways to access legislative information and proceedings, to members of the general public. The legislative information and education program shall include statewide training conducted during the legislative interim and shall encourage public use of technology to access legislative information and proceedings.

§   -D Legislative broadcast program. (a) The bureau shall conduct a legislative broadcast program, which shall coordinate production of video and audio broadcasts for statewide programming through audio and visual means and the Internet, and develop and implement plans for improving broadcast infrastructures inside the capitol.

§   -E Program plans, annual reports. The director of the bureau shall develop long-term plans for the public access room, information and education program, and legislative broadcast program. These plans and an annual report, which may include recommendations for improvements, shall be submitted to the legislature each July."

SECTION 3. Section 23G-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§23G-3 General purposes of bureau. The purpose of the office of the legislative reference bureau shall be to:

(1) Provide a comprehensive research and reference service on matters of legislative [problems for the legislature;] concern;

(2) Conduct impartial research, including legal research, as may be necessary for the enactment of substantive legislation, upon request by the legislature, legislative committees, or legislators, or on its own initiative;

(3) Disseminate its research findings to the legislature on all research projects undertaken upon the request of the legislature or legislative committees;

(4) Secure reports of various officers and boards of the State and as far as may be of the states and of the other territories of the United States and such other material, periodicals, or books as will furnish the fullest information practicable upon all matters pertaining to current or proposed legislative [problems;] initiatives;

(5) Secure information for the legislature, legislative committees, and legislators by cooperating with the legislative reference services in [the] other states, and with the legislative service conference maintained by the council of state governments;

(6) Maintain a reference library for use by the legislature and legislative service agencies. Subject to the priorities established by the director, reference materials may be made available to the various departments and agencies of the State and the general public;

(7) Draft or aid in drafting bills, resolutions, memorials, and amendments thereto, including committee reports, for the legislature, legislative committees, and legislators [when requested;] upon request;

(8) [Control] Manage and maintain the operations of any legislative data processing program as may be established;

(9) Serve, upon request, in an advisory capacity to the legislature and its committees on all matters within [its] the bureau's competencies and responsibilities;

(10) Assist, upon request, legislative service agencies on matters within [its] the bureau's competency;

(11) Perform the function of statute revision and publication of session laws, supplements, and replacement volumes of the Hawaii Revised Statutes; [and]

(12) [Maintain] Manage and maintain the public access room established by [chapter 21G.] part     of this chapter;

(13) Provide information and education about the legislature and the legislative process for members of the general public; and

(14) Manage and maintain the legislative broadcast program established by part     of this chapter."

SECTION 4. Chapter 21G, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.

SECTION 5. All unexpended funds appropriated for the legislative broadcast program by an Act adopted in Session Laws of Hawaii 2003, shall be transferred from the legislature to the legislative reference bureau to be expended for the legislative broadcast program, in accordance with section §   -D, Hawaii Revised Statutes. This appropriation shall not lapse until June 30, 2004.

SECTION 6. In codifying the new sections added to chapter 23G, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by section 2 of this Act, and referred to in this Act, the revisor of statutes shall substitute appropriate section numbers for the letters used in designating the new sections in this Act.

SECTION 7. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

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