(a) An investigating committee shall cause a record to be made of all proceedings in which testimony or other evidence is demanded or adduced, which record shall include rulings of the chair, questions of the committee and its staff, the testimony or responses of witnesses, sworn written statements submitted to the committee, and such other matters as the committee or its chairperson may direct.
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Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 21-12

  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Hearing: means any meeting in the course of an investigatory proceeding, other than a preliminary conference or interview at which no testimony is taken under oath, conducted by an investigating committee for the purpose of taking testimony or receiving other evidence. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 21-2
  • Investigating committee: means any of the following which are authorized to compel the attendance and testimony of witnesses or the production of books, records, papers, and documents for the purpose of securing information on a specific subject for the use of the legislature:

    (1) A standing or special or select committee or committee of the whole of either house of the legislature;
    (2) A joint committee of both houses;
    (3) An authorized subcommittee of a legislative committee; and
    (4) Any body created by law, the members of which may include nonlegislators. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 21-2
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • oath: includes a solemn affirmation. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 1-21
  • Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
  • Subpoena duces tecum: A command to a witness to produce documents.
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
(b) All testimony given or adduced at a hearing shall be under oath or affirmation unless the requirement is dispensed with in a particular instance by majority vote of the committee members present at the hearing.
(c) The president or speaker or other presiding officer of either house of the legislature or any member of an investigating committee may administer an oath or affirmation to a witness at a hearing of such committee.
(d) The presiding officer at a hearing may direct a witness to answer any relevant question or furnish any relevant book, paper, or other document, the production of which has been required by subpoena duces tecum. Unless the direction is overruled by majority vote of the committee members present, disobedience shall constitute a contempt.
(e) A witness at a hearing or the witness’ counsel, with the consent of a majority of the committee members present at the hearing, may file with the committee for incorporation into the record of the hearing sworn written statements relevant to the purpose, subject matter, and scope of the committee’s investigation or inquiry.
(f) A witness at a hearing, upon the witness’ advance request and at the witness’ own expense, shall be furnished a certified transcript of the witness’ testimony at the hearing.
(g) Testimony and other evidence given or adduced at a hearing closed to the public shall not be made public unless authorized by majority vote of all of the members of the committee, which authorization shall also specify the form and manner in which the testimony or other evidence may be released.
(h) All information of a defamatory or highly prejudicial nature received by or for the committee other than in an open or closed hearing shall be deemed to be confidential. No such information shall be made public unless authorized by majority vote of all of the members of the committee for legislative purposes, or unless its use is required for judicial purposes.

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