Bill > HB724

This bill aims to increase government transparency by making several key changes to Hawaii's open meetings law (known as the Sunshine Law). It expands the definition of a "board" to explicitly include the Legislature, including its committees and decision-making bodies, which were previously exempt from open meeting requirements. The bill establishes a new notice period requirement, specifying that for boards with a fixed session duration (like the Legislature), the notice period shall be one-thirtieth of the total session duration, with at least two calendar days' notice during a sixty-day regular session, while boards without a fixed session duration must provide at least six calendar days' notice. Additionally, the bill repeals two significant exemptions: the Legislature's previous exclusion from Sunshine Law requirements and the provision allowing certain private interactions between board members. The legislation also clarifies that for legislative bodies, the president of the senate and speaker of the house will be responsible for enforcing these open meeting provisions. By removing these exemptions and standardizing notice requirements, the bill seeks to make government decision-making more transparent and accountable to the public, ensuring that discussions, deliberations, and actions of governmental agencies are conducted as openly as possible.

Government Affairs

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=724&year=2026