Bill Text: HI SB1509 | 2024 | Regular Session | Amended

Hawaii Senate Bill 1509

Amended

Bill Title: Relating To The State Archives.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed) 2023-12-11 - Carried over to 2024 Regular Session. [SB1509 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2024-SB1509-Amended.html

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1509
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023		S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO THE STATE ARCHIVES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has greatly disrupted the public's interest in traveling and ability to travel, resulting in reduced public access to historical and documentary heritage records. The legislature further finds that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a substantial breakdown in the public's ability to conduct research during limited hours of government operations. The legislature believes that external conditions, including pandemics, should not impede anyone's ability to access public records of enduring value. The legislature recognizes that these impediments to access demonstrate the need to place more of Hawaii's unique and irreplaceable documentary heritage records, historic photographic collections, Hawaiian phonographic music, and audio-video collections online for unrestricted public access at all times and from anywhere in the world. With a vast majority of the most important records of Hawaii's history existing only in paper, phonographic, photographic, audio-video, and related media formats, it is in the public interest to digitize these historic documents, phonographic, photographic, and audio-video media collections to make them accessible through online access.

The legislature acknowledges that converting fragile paper documents, photographs, and phonographic and audio-video records into digital formats is a highly technical, time intensive process. However, once this process is completed, the benefits that will be provided to the public are numerous, including increased access to, and transparency in, the government and a restoration of trust in government.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to establish additional funding sources for, and authorize additional expenditures of moneys in, the state archives preservation and long-term access special fund.

SECTION 2. Section 94-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§94-8[]] State archives preservation and long-term access special fund; state archives preservation fee. (a) There shall be established in the state treasury the state archives preservation and long-term access special fund for the preservation of and long-term access to government records[.] and other materials preserved at the state archives.

(b) [~~All~~] The following shall be deposited into the state archives preservation and long-term access special fund:

(1) All revenues collected from fees for services provided by the state archives [~~shall be deposited in the state archives preservation and long-term access special fund and~~];

(2) Legislative appropriations for special archival projects of unique historic value; and

(3) All interest earned or accrued on moneys deposited into the state archives preservation and long-term access special fund.

(c) Moneys in the state archives preservation and long‑term access special fund may be expended by the comptroller to carry out the purposes of this section, including funding for staff positions and for administrative and operational costs of the program. [~~All interest earned or accrued on moneys deposited in the fund shall become part of the fund.~~

~~(c)~~] (d) In addition to any other fee authorized by law, a state archives preservation fee of $1 shall be assessed for each document that is filed or registered by members of the public with a governmental entity and listed on an authorized records retention and disposition schedule as permanent. The preservation fee shall be collected and deposited in the state archives preservation and long-term access special fund and used to preserve and keep accessible electronic records of [~~such~~] the documents in a usable state for the good of the public."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 to be deposited into the state archives preservation and long-term access special fund.

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the state archives preservation and long-term access special fund the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2023-2024 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2024-2025 for the preservation of and long-term access to government records.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of accounting and general services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2112.

Report Title:

Department of Accounting and General Services; State Archives Preservation and Long-term Access Special Fund; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes additional funding sources for, and authorizes additional expenditures of moneys in, the state archives preservation and long-term access special fund. Appropriates funds. Effective 7/1/2112. (SD2)

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.