STAND. COM. REP. NO. 579

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1382

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 1382 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE LEGISLATIVE BROADCAST PROGRAM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the legislative broadcast program to make an audio or audiovisual recording of all public hearings and informational briefings held at the State Capitol and maintain an archive of the recordings, which shall be made available to the public.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Community Alliance on Prisons and four individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Legislative Reference Bureau.

 

     Your Committee finds that the public plays an important role in the legislative process by participating as testifiers and holding elected officials accountable for their decisions.  Currently, the opportunity to view public hearings and informational briefings for many individuals is out of reach either because of financial constraints, physical limitations, or geographic barriers.  A number of states provide livestreaming and archived videos of all public meetings held in their respective capitol buildings on public websites available to all.  In this technological age, Hawaii should provide livestreaming of all such hearings so that the greatest number of Hawaii residents can view and thereby participate in the legislative process.  Without access to these public hearings, especially when a legislative measure is being heard for the first time and during decision making, Hawaii constituents are less informed and deprived of full participation in the legislative process.  Therefore, your Committee finds that investment in livestreaming, recording, and archiving audio or audiovisual recordings of all public hearings and informational briefings held at the State Capitol is necessary to allow full participation in the legislative process for all Hawaii residents.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting the contents of S.B. No. 1313, Regular Session of 2019, which requires both chambers of the Legislature to enable livestreaming of all public hearings and informational briefings held at the State Capitol through the use of audiovisual technology, to be made available to the public; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     Your Committee recommends that the Joint Legislative Access Committee, Disability and Communication Access Board, and Office of Enterprise Technology Services work together to expand the legislative broadcast program.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1382, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1382, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Technology,

 

 

 

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair