Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 621, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate money to allow legislative hearings to be made available on the internet in a streaming media format.

Your Committee finds that streaming media, also called webcasting, is significantly more useful to the public than the traditional methods of communication. At present, legislative hearings are available through the public broadcast project, but can only be seen by those who have cable television, and only at the times that they are broadcast, which is not always convenient. The unique feature of streaming media is that it can be accessed at any time by the viewer and thus can fit any schedule. The software necessary to view streaming media is free, and can be accessed by a home computer or through the computers available at public libraries, schools, and other public places.

Your Committee has amended the bill by making technical, nonsubstantive changes.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 621, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 621, S.D. 2.