Sunshine Law (HRS Chapter 92) ej require government board, commission, im council ko ren conduct-i business ilo open. Guide in ej cover ta meeting organizer ro rej aikuj jela nan bed ilo compliance — notice requirement ko, agenda rule ko, executive session procedure ko, im public testimony obligation ko.
Men in ej juon plain-language compliance overview. Nan full legal text eo, lale HRS Chapter 92. Nan official guidance, contact-i Office of Information Practices (OIP).
Ta ej constitute-i juon “meeting” iturin Sunshine Law
Juon “meeting” iturin Sunshine Law ej jabdewot gathering an juon quorum (majority an member ro) an juon board ia member ro rej kenono, deliberate, ak koman decision ko ilo mein ko board eo ewor supervision, control, jurisdiction, ak advisory power kaki.
Men in ej include:
- Regular im special meeting ko
- Committee meeting ko (elane committee eo ewor juon quorum an full board eo)
- Workshop ko im work session ko
- Site visit ko ia board business ej kenono kaki
- Conference call ko ak video call ko kab quorum ej bed
- Serial communication ko (e.g., email chain ko) ia quorum ej kenono kin board business
Ejab include informal gathering ko ejjelok quorum, purely social event ko, ak internal staff meeting ko (law eo ej apply nan board ko, jab agency day-to-day operation ko).
Notice requirement ko
Written public notice eo an jabdewot meeting ej aikuj file at least jiljino raan mokta jen meeting eo. Men in ej mean elane juon meeting ej ilo juon Wednesday, notice ej aikuj file no later jen Thursday eo mokta.
Ta notice eo ej aikuj include
- Raan, iien, im jikin an meeting eo
- Agenda eo (juon list kin aolep item ko nan consider)
- Statement bwe meeting eo ej open nan public
- Statement bwe testimony ej maaron submit (im ewi wawein)
- Contact information nan accommodation request ko
Ia nan post-i notice eo
- State calendar eo ilo calendar.ehawaii.gov
- Board eo an mwiin website (elane ej applicable)
- Physical location eo ia meeting eo naaj hold ie (elane ej applicable)
Emergency meeting ko remaroon call kab jidiklok jen jiljino raan notice, ak wot naat juon emergency ak imminent peril nan public health, safety, ak welfare ej require immediate action. Unin eo ej aikuj state ilo notice eo.
Agenda requirement ko
Agenda eo ej part eo ej compliance-sensitive tata an Sunshine Law. Core rule eo ej simple: juon board ej jab maaron kenono ak act ilo jabdewot item eo ejjelok ilo published agenda eo.
Agenda specificity
- Kajojo agenda item ej aikuj describe kab enough specificity bwe public en maaron determine elane rej konaan attend ak testify
- Vague description ko einwot “Old Business” ak “New Business” rej jab sufficient nan substantive discussion
- “Report ko” ak “Announcement ko” item ko rej acceptable wot nan informational update ko — ejjelok deliberation ak decision-making
- Elane board eo naaj vote ilo mein, item description eo ej aikuj koman men eo clear
Add-i item ko tok jen agenda eo ej publish
Generally, item ko rej jab maaron add nan agenda eo tok jen ej post. Elane mein ej walok eo ejjelok ilo agenda eo, board eo ej aikuj schedule-i nan juon future meeting kab proper notice. Exception eo juon wot ej elane juon item ej qualify einwot juon emergency iturin HRS 92-8.
Executive session rule ko
Executive session ko (closed meeting ko) rej permitted wot nan specific purpose ko rej list ilo HRS 92-5. Aolep bar business ej aikuj conduct ilo public.
Purpose ko rej permitted nan executive session
- Personnel matter ko — consider-i hire, evaluation, dismissal, ak discipline an juon officer ak employee (ak jab general discussion kin personnel policy ko)
- Legal matter ko — consult ibben board eo an attorney kin question ko im issue ko rej related nan board eo an power ko, duty ko, privilege ko, immunity ko, im liability ko
- Collective bargaining — deliberation ko rej related nan collective bargaining
- Security matter ko — kenono kin matter ko rej related nan public safety ak security
- Real property transaction ko — consider-i acquisition kin real property naat public knowledge naaj increase-i price eo
- Investigation ko — investigate-i juon alleged violation an law naat public disclosure naaj compromise-i investigation eo
Procedure ko nan enter executive session
- Agenda eo ej aikuj state bwe board eo emaaron enter executive session im cite-i specific HRS 92-5 provision eo
- Juon two-thirds vote an member ro rej bed ej aikuj nan close-i meeting eo
- Board eo ej aikuj announce-i purpose eo an executive session publicly mokta jen ej close
- Wot matter eo ear state en maaron kenono kaki ilo closed session eo
- Ejjelok final action ak vote en maaron boki ilo executive session — board eo ej aikuj reconvene ilo public nan vote
Public testimony requirement ko
Sunshine Law ej guarantee public eo aer right nan lewoj testimony ilo jabdewot agenda item. Board ko rej aikuj lewoj juon reasonable opportunity nan public testimony.
Compliance requirement ko nan testimony
- Allow-i oral testimony ilo meeting eo (in person ak ilo remote connection elane ej offer)
- Accept-i written testimony ej submit mokta ak ilo meeting eo
- Lewoj clear instruction ko ilo meeting notice eo kin ewi wawein submit-i testimony
- Board ko remaaron set-i reasonable time limit ko ilo oral testimony (e.g., 3 minute kajojo armij), ak rej jab maaron prohibit-i entirely
- Board ko rej aikuj consider-i testimony mokta jen rej koman juon decision, ak rej jab require nan follow-i
Remote testimony: Elap board ko kiiio rej accept-i testimony ilo video ak phone. Elane am board ej offer remote access, include-i connection detail ko ilo meeting notice eo.
Minute requirement ko
Kajojo board ej aikuj keep-i written minute ko an aer meeting ko. Minute ko rej boki public record im rej aikuj available naat ej request.
Ta minute ko rej aikuj include
- Raan, iien, im jikin an meeting eo
- Member ro rej bed im rej jab bed
- Substance an aolep matter ko rej propose, kenono kaki, ak decide
- Juon record kin jabdewot vote ko rej boki (including ewi wawein kajojo member ear vote)
- Elane executive session ear hold: vote eo nan close-i meeting eo im purpose eo ear cite
Minute ko rej aikuj approve ilo juon subsequent meeting im post publicly. OIP ej recommend board ko ren post minute ko iloan 40 raan an meeting eo.
Penalty ko nan violation ko
Violation ko an Sunshine Law emaaron ewor real consequence ko:
- Voided action ko. Jabdewot action eo ear boki ilo violation an Sunshine Law emaaron void jen juon court
- Attorney fee ko. Juon board eo rej lo ilo violation remaaron aikuj koba prevailing party eo an attorney fee ko
- Personal liability. Board member ro rej intentionally violate-i law eo remaaron personally liable nan juon fine kin elonlok jen $500 kajojo violation
- OIP opinion ko. OIP emaaron issue-i formal opinion ko rej lo juon violation im recommend-i corrective action
Compliance checklist nan meeting organizer ro
Koba checklist in mokta jen kajojo meeting nan ensure Sunshine Law compliance:
Mokta jen meeting eo
- Agenda item ko rej describe kab enough specificity nan public en understand ta naaj kenono kaki
- Written notice ej file at least 6 raan mokta jen meeting eo
- Notice ej post ilo state calendar (calendar.ehawaii.gov)
- Notice ej include raan, iien, jikin, im full agenda
- Notice ej include information kin ewi wawein submit-i testimony
- Notice ej include contact information nan accommodation request ko
- Elane executive session ej anticipate, agenda eo ej cite specific HRS 92-5 provision eo
Ilo iien meeting eo
- Discussion ej bed ilo agenda item ko wot — ejjelok off-agenda deliberation
- Public testimony ej allow ilo kajojo agenda item
- Elane rej enter executive session: two-thirds vote ej boki, purpose ej announce publicly
- Aolep vote ko rej boki ilo open session im rej record
- Ejjelok final action ej boki ilo executive session
Tok jen meeting eo
- Minute ko rej draft promptly (iloan 40 raan ej recommend)
- Minute ko rej include member ro rej bed, item ko rej kenono kaki, im vote ko rej boki
- Minute ko rej approve ilo juon subsequent meeting
- Approved minute ko rej post publicly
Common mistake ko nan avoid
- Serial communication ko. Juon chain in one-on-one conversation ko ikotaan board member ro eo collectively ej involve juon quorum ej kenono kin board business ej juon Sunshine Law violation — menan ejjelok single conversation ej involve juon quorum
- Vague agenda item ko. “New Business” ak “Discussion” ejjelok specific ej jab meet-i notice requirement nan substantive deliberation
- Act ilo executive session. Boki juon final vote ak koman juon binding decision naat ej ilo closed session ej violate law eo
- Late notice. File-i notice eo jidiklok jen 6 raan mokta jen meeting eo ej violate requirement eo, menan juon raan wot
- Block-i testimony. Refuse nan accept-i testimony ak jab lewoj juon reasonable opportunity nan public en rongorong ej juon violation
Resource ko
- HRS Chapter 92 — full text
- OIP Sunshine Law guidance
- OIP Sunshine Law guide (PDF)
- OIP training im workshop ko
- State public meeting calendar
Jino
Kwoj aikuj ke jiban kab Sunshine Law compliance? OIP ej lewoj free training im guidance nan government board ko.