Office of Information Practices (OIP)
OIP administers two laws that help ensure open and transparent government in Hawai’i:
- The Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA), HRS Chapter 92F, which governs access to government records; and
- The Sunshine Law, part I of HRS Chapter 92, requires government boards and commissions to hold open public meetings.
Both laws are intended to open up governmental processes to public scrutiny and participation by requiring government business to be conducted as transparently as possible, while balancing personal privacy rights guaranteed under the Hawai’i State Constitution.
OIP provides uniform interpretation, advice, and training on these laws to nearly all of Hawai’i’s state and county agencies and boards and to the general public. OIP renders advice and assistance on questions concerning the public’s right to access government records or meetings and also provides training to help agencies comply with the laws. This website gives you access to a wealth of open government information. Through it, OIP can cost-effectively and efficiently share the knowledge of its experienced staff members to encourage greater awareness of and compliance with Hawai’i’s UIPA and Sunshine Law
Guidance and Training
To explain the open government laws’ requirements, OIP has training tools and guides readily available on this website. Our Newsletter section includes updates on our work and the UIPA and Sunshine Law. To sign up for or unsubscribe from OIP’s “What’s New” Newsletter, please email [email protected].
Attorney of the Day
OIP offers an Attorney of the Day (AOD) service. Members of the public or government agencies may email [email protected] or call (808) 586-1400 to receive general, non-binding advice, usually within 24 hours, regarding the UIPA or Sunshine Law.
Request for Assistance
When agencies fail to respond to a UIPA request or give an incomplete response, the requester may contact OIP for free assistance. OIP may open a Request for Assistance (RFA) file and send the agency a letter reminding it of its obligations under the UIPA and asking it to respond to the requester. The purpose of the RFA process is to help a requester receive a proper written response from the agency. It is not to be used to resolve legal questions nor to determine whether the agency’s denial of access was justified. To initiate this service, please email [email protected] or mail a letter to OIP requesting assistance. You may use OIP’s Request for Assistance model form. Please be sure to include a copy of (1) your record request submitted to the agency; and (2) all responses you received from the agency about your record request, including, but not limited to, any emails, notices to requesters, acknowledgments, and letters.
Appeals
Although the public has the right to go to court without having to involve OIP, it is not necessary to hire attorneys or observe judicial formalities to obtain OIP’s assistance. A person may submit a written appeal to OIP asking it to review and decide on: (1) An agency’s denial of access to information or records under the UIPA; (2) The Department of Taxation’s denial or granting of access to government records under chapter 231, HRS; (3) A board’s compliance with or to prevent a violation of the Sunshine Law; (4) Whether the Sunshine Law applies to the discussions or decisions of a public body. OIP renders formal or informal opinions, which are enforceable by the courts. These opinions, along with a searchable subject matter index for UIPA Opinions and an index for Sunshine Law Opinions, can be found on this website. OIP’s free and informal appeal proceedings are not subject to the contested case procedures of HRS Chapter 91.
Records Report
OIP administers the Records Report System (RRS), a computerized database (without the actual records) describing the more than 26,000 record titles of the various types of government records maintained by state and county agencies that may be available for public access. OIP also trains and assists agencies to use the UIPA Record Request Log and uploads their Log summaries to a government-wide support group on the State’s centralized open data website at opendata.hawaii.gov.
Accessibility
If you require an auxiliary aid or accommodation due to a disability, please contact (808) 586-1400 or e-mail [email protected]. OIP will strive to return your initial call or e-mail by the end of the next business day.
Thank you
Thank you for visiting. We hope that you will find most of the answers to your open government questions here.