An email this week from the folks at the state Capitol’s Public Access Room called pointed out several useful updates to the legislature’s website (www.capitol.hawaii.gov).

You’ll find there are 3 additional buttons in the center screen – one to access hearings, another for Orders of the Day, and the last to access the broadcast schedule and archived videos.

The “Keywords” search box is now labeled “Bills/Committee Reports” but has the same functionality as before – it will search through current bills, resolutions, and committee reports for the term you enter. It’s the second search box on the left of the homepage. (Tips on searching appear at the top of the column.)

A “Session Laws” (Session Laws of Hawaii, or SLH) search box has been added that allows you to search all Acts dating back to 1959. You may click on “Browse SLH Sections by Year” to choose a particular year or to use the SLH index for that year. (This new feature has helped us out several times already!)

We’ve updated the Public Access Room’s website guide to reflect the changes.

If you’re not familiar with the website, it’s worth your while to do some exploring to find out the range of useful information buried there.