Bill > SB863

This bill modifies Hawaii's public records law by establishing new guidelines for government record access fees and fee waivers. Specifically, the bill caps charges for searching, reviewing, and segregating government records at $5 per fifteen minutes for searching and $7.50 per fifteen minutes for reviewing and segregating records. The bill introduces a detailed framework for waiving these fees when the public interest would be significantly served by record disclosure. To qualify for a fee waiver, the requested records must contribute meaningfully to public understanding of government operations, not be primarily for commercial purposes, and not be unreasonably burdensome. When evaluating potential waivers, authorities will consider factors such as the request's subject matter, the information's informative value, the potential public understanding gained, the significance of the contribution to public knowledge, any commercial interests involved, and the primary motivation for disclosure. The bill aims to maintain government transparency and accountability by making public records more accessible while preventing excessive or unnecessary fees from hindering citizens' ability to obtain important government information.

Government Affairs

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=863&year=2026