Bill > HB131

This bill modifies Hawaii's existing public records law to allow government agencies to share government records with researchers under specific conditions. The bill defines a "research purpose" as a non-commercial objective to develop, study, or report aggregate or anonymous information that does not identify specific individuals, and a "researcher" as a government agency, hospital, educational institution, news media, nonprofit organization, or similar entity requesting research records. The legislation changes Chapter 92F of Hawaii Revised Statutes to explicitly permit agencies to disclose government records to researchers, notwithstanding previous restrictions. Additionally, the bill modifies the powers of the Office of Information Practices, changing language from "shall" to "may" regarding the adoption of uniform standards for disclosure of records to researchers. This change provides more flexibility for agencies in sharing government records for research purposes while maintaining protections for individual privacy by emphasizing the use of anonymous and aggregated data. The bill takes effect immediately upon approval, potentially facilitating more research using government data while preserving confidentiality.

Government Affairs, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=131&year=2025