The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Senate Committee on Government Operations on Feb. 4, 2025.
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Feb. 4, 2025 3:05 p.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 225 and Videoconference
To: Senate Committee on Government Operations
Sen. Angus L.K. McKelvey, Chair
Sen. Mike Gabbard, Vice-Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF SB1255 — RELATING TO GOVERNMENT RECORDS
Aloha Chair McKelvey, Vice-Chair Gabbard and other Committee members,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii would like to offer its support for SB1255, which would clarify that government records subject to disclosure under the Uniform Information Practices Act include information used, created, maintained or received by private contractors performing government functions pursuant to contract.
The bill would also allow the Office of Information Practices to investigate possible violations of these requirements and establish civil penalties for those violations.
We applaud this effort to eliminate the possibility of government contractors sidestepping transparency requirements.
The intent of sunshine laws is to provide public access to government decision-making and actions, especially when those actions involve the use of public funds. Allowing private contractors to avoid disclosure would frustrate this intent.
Furthermore, transparency laws help discourage government corruption and self-dealing — concerns that are often heightened in the case of government contracting.
We urge you to pass SB1255.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
