Guide ñan Public Records Request

Uniform Information Practices Act (HRS Chapter 92F) — etan UIPA — ej Hawaii eo an public records law. Guide in ej nan records officer ro im agency staff ro rej responsible nan process-i records request ko. Ej cover timeline ko, fee ko, exemption ko, im appeal process eo.

Ta record ko rej subject nan disclosure

Default eo iturin UIPA ej disclosure. Aolep government record ko rej presume bwe rej public elane ejjelok specific exemption ej apply. Men in ej include:

• Document ko, report ko, im correspondence
• Email ko (including internal email ko kin government business)
• Contract ko im financial record ko
• Meeting minute ko im agenda ko
• Data im database ko rej maintain jen agency eo
• Photograph ko, map ko, im bar media
• Record ko ilo jabdewot format — paper, electronic, audio, ak video

Law eo ej apply nan aolep state im county agency ko, including board ko, commission ko, department ko, im office ko.

Ewi wawein process-i juon records request

Naat am agency ej boki juon records request, follow-i step ko rein:

Step 1: Acknowledge-i request eo

Respond promptly nan confirm receipt. UIPA ejab specify juon exact response time, ak OIP guidance ej state bwe agency ko rej aikuj respond iloan 10 raan in jerbal. Elane request eo ej complex im naaj boki elaplok iien, kwalok requester eo kin expected timeline eo.

Step 2: Search-i nan responsive record ko

Conduct-i juon reasonable search nan aolep record ko rej match-i request eo. Document-i am search process — ta database ko, file system ko, im office ko kwoj search-i, im won ear involve. Juon reasonable search ej jab mean juon exhaustive search, ak ej aikuj thorough enough bwe kwoj en maaron defend-i elane ej challenge.

Step 3: Review-i nan exemption ko

Review-i kajojo responsive record nan determine elane jabdewot exemption ko rej apply. Elane wot part an juon record ej exempt, kwoj aikuj release-i portion ko rejab exempt — men in etan lewoj record eo ilo segregable form.

Step 4: Respond nan requester eo

Am response ej aikuj include:

• Responsive record ko (ak portion ko rejab exempt)
• Nan jabdewot record ko rej withhold: specific exemption eo rej cite im juon brief explanation kin etke ej apply
• Information kin requester eo an right nan appeal nan OIP
• Elane fee ko rej apply: juon estimate mokta jen kwoj proceed kab copying

Response timeline ko

• Initial response: Iloan 10 raan in jerbal an boki request eo
• Record ko rej available on site: Allow-i inspection iloan 10 raan in jerbal
• Complex request ko: Kwalok requester eo iloan 10 raan in jerbal elane elaplok iien ej aikuj, im lewoj juon estimated completion date
• Incremental production: Nan request ko relaplap, lewoj record ko ilo juon rolling basis naat rej review, jen ren kottale ae aolep record ko rej ready

Fee structure im limitation ko

Agency ko remaaron charge-i fee ko, ak rej limited:

• Electronic delivery: Ejjelok charge nan record ko rej jilkinlok ilo email ak electronic transfer
• Paper copy ko: Reasonable copying cost ko wot (usually $0.05–$0.25 kajojo page)
• Ejjelok search fee ko: Agency ko rej jab maaron charge-i nan iien ej kabode ilo search-i record ko
• Ejjelok review fee ko: Agency ko rej jab maaron charge-i nan iien ej kabode ilo review-i record ko nan exemption ko
• Fee waiver: Consider-i waive-i fee ko naat disclosure ej ilo public interest

Always lewoj juon fee estimate mokta jen kwoj produce paper copy ko, im offer-i electronic delivery einwot juon no-cost alternative.

Exemption ko

UIPA ej lewoj specific exemption ko ia disclosure naaj cause harm. Ko recommon tata rej:

Personal privacy (HRS 92F-14(b))

Record ko ej constitute juon clearly unwarranted invasion an personal privacy. Men in ej include Social Security number ko, medical record ko, home address ko an employee ro, im similar personal information. Test eo ej elane privacy interest eo ej outweigh-i public interest eo ilo disclosure.

Law enforcement (HRS 92F-13(3))

Record ko rej related nan active law enforcement investigation ko, ia disclosure naaj interfere kab enforcement proceeding ko, reveal-i confidential investigative technique ko, ak endanger-i juon armij eo an safety.

Deliberative process (HRS 92F-13(3))

Pre-decisional, deliberative record ko — einwot draft report ko, internal memo ko kab policy recommendation ko, ak inter-agency communication ko ia staff rej kenono kin option ko mokta jen juon decision ej koman. Naat juon decision ej final, factual portion ko rej boki disclosable.

Bar exemption ko

• Attorney-client privilege — communication ko ikotaan agency eo im an attorney
• Trade secret ko — confidential commercial ak financial information
• Bar statute ko — record ko rej koman confidential jen bar state ak federal law ko

Appeal process ilo OIP

Elane juon requester ej disagree kab am denial, rej maaron file-i juon appeal ibben Office of Information Practices. Eini ta ej walok:

• Requester eo ej contact-i OIP kab detail ko an request eo im denial eo
• OIP naaj contact-i am agency nan juon response im record ko rej withhold
• OIP ej review-i record ko im exemption ko rej cite
• OIP ej issue-i juon formal opinion — ej uphold-i denial eo ak ej order-i disclosure
• Process in ej free nan requester eo

Elane am agency ej disagree kab OIP eo an opinion, matter eo emaaron boki nan court, ak men in ej rare. Elaptata agency ko rej comply kab OIP opinion ko.

Sample response template ko

Full disclosure response

Yokwe [Etan Requester],

Kommol nan am records request eo raan [raan].

Kim ear lo record ko rej request im rej attach
nan email in. Ejjelok fee ko rej apply nan electronic
delivery.

Elane ewor am kajjitok, jouj im contact-i [eta] ilo
[email/phone].

[Etan Agency]

Partial denial response

Yokwe [Etan Requester],

Kommol nan am records request eo raan [raan].

Kim ear lo [number] responsive record ko. [Number]
record ko rej lewoj ilo full. [Number] record ko rej
lewoj kab redaction ko einwot ej note iturin.

Information ko rein rear withhold iturin
[cite specific HRS section]: [brief explanation kin ta
ear redact im etke exemption eo ej apply].

Kwoj ewor right nan appeal-i determination in nan
Office of Information Practices ilo oip@hawaii.gov ak
(808) 586-1400.

[Etan Agency]

Compliance checklist nan records officer ro

Common mistake ko nan avoid

• Kajjitok “etke.” Kwoj jab maaron require-i juon requester en kwalok aer purpose ak intended use an record ko
• Blanket denial ko. Cite-i juon exemption nan juon entire category an record ko ejjelok reviewing kajojo record individually
• Ignore-i request ko. Fail nan respond ej mwiin juon violation — menan juon “kim aikuj elaplok iien” response ej emman lok jen silence
• Charge-i search fee ko. UIPA ejab allow agency ko ren charge-i nan iien ej kabode ilo search-i ak review-i record ko
• Fail nan segregate. Elane wot part an juon record ej exempt, kwoj aikuj release-i portion ko rejab exempt
• Ejjelok appeal information. Kajojo denial ej aikuj kwalok requester eo kin aer right nan appeal nan OIP

Resource ko

• HRS Chapter 92F — full text
• OIP guidance kin UIPA
• OIP formal opinion ko database
• OIP Records Report System — searchable database kin 26,000+ kain government record
• OIP training im workshop ko

Jino

Kwoj aikuj ke jiban ilo process-i juon records request? OIP ej lewoj free guidance im training nan agency records officer ro.

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