(a) A board may hold an in-person meeting at multiple meeting sites connected by interactive conference technology; provided that the interactive conference technology used by the board allows audio or audiovisual interaction among all members of the board participating in the meeting and all members of the public attending the meeting, and the notice required by § 92-7 identifies all of the locations where participating board members will be physically present and indicates that members of the public may join board members at any of the identified locations. The board may provide additional locations open for public participation but where no participating board members will be physically present. The notice required by § 92-7 shall list any additional locations open for public participation but where no participating board members will be physically present and specify, in the event one of those additional locations loses its audio connection to the meeting, whether the meeting will continue without that location or will be automatically recessed to restore communication as provided in subsection (c).
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Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 92-3.5

  • Board: means any agency, board, commission, authority, or committee of the State or its political subdivisions which is created by constitution, statute, rule, or executive order, to have supervision, control, jurisdiction, or advisory power over specific matters and which is required to conduct meetings and to take official actions. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 92-2
  • Interactive conference technology: means any form of audio and visual conference technology, or audio conference technology where permitted under this part, including teleconference, videoconference, and voice over internet protocol, that facilitates interaction between the public and board members. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 92-2
  • Meeting: means the convening of a board for which a quorum is required in order to make a decision or to deliberate toward a decision upon a matter over which the board has supervision, control, jurisdiction, or advisory power. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 92-2
  • Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
(b) Any board member participating in a meeting by interactive conference technology under this section shall be considered present at the meeting for the purpose of determining compliance with the quorum and voting requirements of the board.
(c) A meeting held by interactive conference technology under this section shall be automatically recessed for up to thirty minutes to restore communication when audio communication cannot be maintained with all locations where the meeting by interactive conference technology is being held, even if a quorum of the board is physically present in one location. The meeting may reconvene when either audio or audiovisual communication is restored. Within fifteen minutes after audio-only communication is established, copies of nonconfidential visual aids that are required by or brought to the meeting by board members or as part of a scheduled presentation shall be made available either by posting on the Internet or by other means to all meeting participants, and those agenda items for which visual aids are not available for all participants at all meeting locations shall not be acted upon at the meeting. If it is not possible to reconvene the meeting as provided in this subsection within thirty minutes after an interruption to communication, and the board has not provided reasonable notice to the public as to how the meeting will be continued at an alternative date and time, then the meeting shall be automatically terminated.
(d) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section to the contrary, a board member with a disability that limits or impairs the member’s ability to physically attend the meeting may participate in a board meeting from a location not accessible to the public; provided that the member with a disability is connected to other members of the board and the public by both visual and audio means, and the member identifies where the member is located and who, if anyone, is present at that location with the member.

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