REPORT TITLE:
High Tech Calling Center


DESCRIPTION:
Requires DBEDT to develop a plan by 8/31/99 to establish a high
technology call center in Kapolei by 2001 and requires progress
report to legislature by 12/20/99.  Repealed 6/30/2001.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.1239       
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HIGH TECHNOLOGY CALL CENTER IN
   KAPOLEI BY THE YEAR 2001.


BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the global economy is
 
 2 becoming increasingly digital.  With the meteoric rise of the
 
 3 internet economy Hawaii is uniquely placed to exploit its natural
 
 4 advantages by establishing its own niche as a high technology
 
 5 call center.  Companies use call centers for a myriad of reasons,
 
 6 including providing help or assistance for their customers for
 
 7 things ranging from installing or debugging computer or software
 
 8 applications, taking orders for products, providing customer
 
 9 fulfillment services, checking bank account balances, providing
 
10 credit card services, and so forth.
 
11      The State is the only geographic site from which a call
 
12 center can communicate, in the same day, with individuals from as
 
13 far away as Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Manila, or
 
14 Bangkok in Asia, and New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, or Los
 
15 Angeles on the mainland.  Given its unique location, Hawaii is
 
16 ready made to assume the role of an international communications
 
17 hub between the Asian economies in the east and the mainland.  In
 
18 addition, Hawaii, unlike many other states, already has an
 
19 extensive fiber-optic communications grid in place -- it is
 

 
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 1 already wired for high technology communications.  Furthermore,
 
 2 Hawaii is further unique in boasting a population that is
 
 3 multicultural and multilingual and that is familiar with both
 
 4 western and Asian cultures, customs, and values.  Only a minimum
 
 5 of investment is necessary to establish Hawaii's niche as an
 
 6 international hub high technology call center.  Personnel can
 
 7 easily be technically trained given the basic requirements of a
 
 8 high school education.  The purpose of this Act is to require the
 
 9 department of business, economic development, and tourism to take
 
10 steps to establish a high technology call center in Kapolei as a
 
11 priority item for development by the year 2001.
 
12      SECTION 2.  (a)  The department of business, economic
 
13 development, and tourism shall set, as a priority item for
 
14 development, the establishment of a high technology call center
 
15 in Kapolei by the year 2001.
 
16      (b)  No later than August 31, 1999, the director of
 
17 business, economic development, and tourism shall complete the
 
18 development of a plan to implement the establishment of a high
 
19 technology call center in Kapolei pursuant to subsection (a).
 
20 The department of business, economic development, and tourism
 
21 shall submit its development plan to the legislature no later
 
22 than August 31, 1999 and, upon submission, shall immediately
 
23 begin to implement its plan.
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.1239       
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (c)  No later than December 20, 1999, the director of
 
 2 business, economic development, and tourism shall submit a report
 
 3 to the legislature detailing the progress of the plan's
 
 4 implementation, including any necessary proposed implementing
 
 5 legislation and appropriation requests.
 
 6      SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval and
 
 7 shall be repealed on June 30, 2001.
 
 8 
 
 9                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________