HRS §92F-1 Short title
92F-1. Short title
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Uniform Information Practices Act (Modified).
L 1988, c 262, pt of §1
General Provisions and Definitions
HRS div. 1, tit. 8, ch. 92F, pt. I
in effectHRS §92F-2 Purposes; rules of construction
92F-2. Purposes; rules of construction
In a democracy, the people are vested with the ultimate decision-making power. Government agencies exist to aid the people in the formation and conduct of public policy. Opening up the government processes to public scrutiny and participation is the only viable and reasonable method of protecting the public's interest. Therefore the legislature declares that it is the policy of this State that the formation and conduct of public policy--the discussions, deliberations, decisions, and action of government agencies--shall be conducted as openly as possible.
The policy of conducting government business as
openly as possible must be tempered by a recognition of the right of the people
to privacy, as embodied in section 6 and section 7 of article I of the constitution
of the state of Hawaii.
This chapter shall be applied and construed to
promote its underlying purposes and policies, which are to:
(1) Promote the public interest in disclosure;
(2) Provide for accurate, relevant, timely, and
complete government records;
(3) Enhance governmental accountability through a
general policy of access to government records;
(4) Make government accountable to individuals in the
collection, use, and dissemination of information relating to them; and
(5) Balance the individual privacy interest and the
public access interest, allowing access unless it would constitute a clearly
unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
[L 1988, c 262, pt of §1]
HRS §92F-3 General definitions
92F-3. General definitions
Unless the context otherwise requires, in this chapter:
"Agency" means any unit of government
in this State, any county, or any combination of counties; department;
institution; board; commission; district; council; bureau; office; governing
authority; other instrumentality of state or county government; or corporation
or other establishment owned, operated, or managed by or on behalf of this
State or any county, but does not include the nonadministrative functions of
the courts of this State.
"Government record" means information
maintained by an agency in written, auditory, visual, electronic, or other
physical form.
"Individual" means a natural person.
"Person" means an individual,
corporation, government, or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust,
estate, trust, partnership, association, or any other legal entity.
"Personal record" means any item,
collection, or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained
by an agency. It includes, but is not limited to, the individual's education,
financial, medical, or employment history, or items that contain or make
reference to the individual's name, identifying number, symbol, or other
identifying particular assigned to the individual, such as a finger or voice
print or a photograph.
[L 1988, c 262, pt of §1]
HRS §92F-4 Funding, services, and other federal assistance
92F-4. Funding, services, and other federal assistance
Where compliance with any provision of this chapter would cause an agency to lose or be denied funding, services, or other assistance from the federal government, compliance with that provision shall be waived but only to the extent necessary to protect eligibility for federal funding, services, or other assistance.
[L 1992, c 118, §1]
Source: Hawaii State Legislature (capitol.hawaii.gov), via Internet Archive capturesURL: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol02_Ch0046-0115/HRS0092F/HRS_0092F-.htmFetched: 11/10/2026