Hawaii House Bill HR82

Hawaii 2022 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/11/22
• Refer: 3/14/22
• Report Pass: 3/31/22
• Passed: 3/31/22

Caption

Requesting The Office Of Planning And Sustainable Development's Environmental Review Program To Form A Task Force To Recommend User-friendly Improvements To The Program's Website.

Impact

The proposed task force would consist of representatives from various related organizations, including the Environmental Advisory Council and the Chief Information Officer of the Office of Enterprise Technology Services. By suggesting user-friendly features like searchability in environmental impact statements and assessments, the task force aims to foster public engagement in the environmental review process. This effort is viewed as critical in ensuring that citizens remain informed about significant environmental decisions that affect their communities.

Summary

House Resolution 82 (HR82) requests the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development's Environmental Review Program to establish a task force aimed at improving user-friendliness of the program's website. The goal is to enhance transparency in the environmental review process and encourage greater public participation. Currently, there are concerns regarding public awareness of pending projects and environmental assessments, which are often undisclosed until steps for public comment have closed. HR82 seeks to address these issues by proposing specific enhancements to the website to make information more accessible to the public.

Contention

While the bill seems to have broad support for enhancing public engagement, potential points of contention include the scope and efficacy of the proposed improvements. There is a risk that merely enhancing the website may not suffice to increase legitimate public participation if underlying communication strategies are not reevaluated. Additionally, the task force's recommendations could impact how environmental assessments are presented and interpreted, particularly if these changes affect the pace or depth of the review process.