Bill > SR185

This Resolution requests the Office of Information Practices (OIP), Hawaii's agency responsible for overseeing the Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA), to form a working group. This group will be tasked with developing recommendations for how to handle "deliberative and pre-decisional agency records," which are internal documents and discussions that occur before a final decision is made. The goal is to find a balance between the public's right to access government information and the need for agencies to have frank internal discussions to make sound decisions, acknowledging that the federal "deliberative process privilege" (DPP) has faced criticism for potential abuse. The working group will consist of three public interest representatives, three government agency representatives, and the OIP Director, who will also lead the group. They are to examine current practices in Hawaii and elsewhere and report their findings and recommendations to the Legislature by early 2023.