The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Senate Committee on Government Operations on Feb. 6, 2024.
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Feb. 6, 2024, 3:10 p.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 225 and Videoconference
To: Senate Committee on Government Operations
Sen. Angus McKelvey, Chair
Sen. Mike Gabbard, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
COMMENTS ON SB8016 — RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Aloha Chair McKelvey, Vice-Chair Gabbard and Committee Members,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii would like to offer support for the portion of SB2816 that would require state agencies to provide electronic notice of any proposed changes to their administrative rules and display those changes in Ramseyer format, which would make clear which rules were being added, changed or removed.
Administrative rules govern all aspects of life in Hawaii, from invasive species control to deadlines for the issuance of professional licenses, but currently there is no statewide system for informing the public of proposed changes to agencies’ administrative rules.
Instead, an interested individual must follow dozens of agencies’ calendars and websites for periodic and non-standardized rulemaking notices.
Thus, the electronic notification system proposed in SB2816 would promote transparency and civic engagement on these important changes.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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