The State Office of Information Practices (OIP) has posted on its Training page two new Sunshine Law Guides: one for State and county boards, and the other for neighborhood boards. While the Sunshine Law is applicable to all boards, neighborhood boards are also subject to part VII of chapter 92, HRS, (which is not part of the Sunshine Law) and other procedures that apply only to them, which is why OIP created a separate Guide for neighborhood boards.
Together with the six Sunshine Law training materials that OIP posted last week and the summary of Act 220 posted in July, boards now have a variety of training resources to help them understand the law and its new remote meeting provisions. While updates to the Sunshine Law training video and Quiz are not expected to be completed until November, OIP’s new materials provide detailed written training on the Sunshine Law as it will be amended effective January 1, 2022. Because existing materials explaining the current law without the amendments will remain on OIP’s website until January 1, people are advised to look carefully at the dates of the training materials on OIP’s website to distinguish between the old and new training materials.
OIP has also replaced its form to request OIP’s concurrence for a limited meeting, which can be found in the Sunshine Law sections on the Forms and Training pages. The limited meeting provisions have not changed, but boards seeking the OIP Director’s concurrence to hold a limited meeting are now asked to submit the relevant portion of their draft or final meeting minutes showing that the board, by a vote of two-thirds of all members to which it is entitled, has met the statutory requirements in section 92-3.1(a), HRS, to “determine, after sufficient public deliberation, that it is necessary to old the limited meeting and specifies that the location is dangerous to health or safety or that the on-site inspection is necessary and public attendance is impracticable.”
Any new training materials will be announced by OIP through What’s New articles, which you can find archived on OIP’s website or ask to have emailed to you. To be added to OIP’s email list, please email oip@hawaii.gov. Also, if you would like to receive What’s New articles or attachments in a different format, please contact OIP at (808) 586-1400 or oip@hawaii.gov.