STAND. COM. REP. NO. 385-04
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2004
RE: H.B. No. 2883
H.D. 2
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2004
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2883, H.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WIRELESS ENHANCED 911 SERVICE,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this bill is to fund the implementation of an enhanced wireless 911 system designed to route a 911 call to a public safety answering point along with the caller's identification and location, by establishing:
(1) A monthly surcharge of 66 cents on mobile phone connections;
(2) A special fund to receive the proceeds of the surcharge; and
(3) A board to oversee the collection and distribution of the surcharge proceeds, that must report annually to the Legislature.
Testimony in support of this bill was received from the Department of Health, Honolulu Police Department, AT&T Wireless, T-Mobile USA, Inc., Verizon Wireless, and the American Heart Association. The Department of Accounting and General Services and Verizon Hawaii supported the intent of this bill. The Office of Information Practices commented.
Your Committee finds that the capacity of an enhanced wireless 911 system to identify the cell phone being used and pinpoint the location of the cellular call can provide critical emergency services in a variety of circumstances. These include instances where visitors to the islands need emergency help but are not familiar with the community, where a sick or injured caller's condition prevents them from conveying the necessary information, and where a hiker is lost.
Your Committee has amended this bill by:
(1) Making the current wireline 911 provider's representative on the Wireless Enhanced 911 Board, a voting rather than ex-officio nonvoting member, at the request of Verizon Hawaii;
(2) Delaying the effective date until 2099 to encourage further discussion of the remaining issues; and
(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2883, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2883, H.D. 2.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce,
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____________________________ KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Chair |
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