STAND

STAND. COM. REP. 2433

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2912

S.D. 1

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Science, Arts, and Technology and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2912 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CABLE TELEVISION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to implement a three-year pilot program to provide additional funding to support public, educational, and governmental cable television access in underserved areas.

Testimony in support of the measure was received from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; the Department of Education (supports intent); the University of Hawaii (supports intent); Olelo Community Television (supports intent); Na Leo O Hawaii; the League of Women Voters of Hawaii; and Akaku: Maui Community Television. Testimony in opposition to the measure was received from one individual.

Your Committees find that this measure expands the public, educational, and governmental television access system to underserved or geographically isolated areas. Providing additional resources would enable the public, educational, and governmental television access system to implement new programs and upgrade facilities in order to expand and meet the needs of these underserved communities.

Your Committees have amended the measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020 to make the bill defective in order to promote continuing discussions;

(2) Changing the amount of funding for this pilot program to $1 for fiscal year 2004-2005;

(3) Removing language from the measure that states that the Institutional Network has been largely deployed, in response to concerns by the University of Hawaii and the Department of Education that this measure would reallocate funding sources from the Institutional Network; and

(4) Providing for the creation of an Institutional Network Advisory Committee comprised of representatives from the Department of Accounting and General Services, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Department of Education, and the University of Hawaii, to ensure that future expansion of the Institutional Network is well coordinated and funded.

The proposed process to provide funds to the public, governmental, and educational television access system organizations is similar to the grant process defined in chapter 42F. Your Committees request that the Committee on Ways and Means review and determine the appropriate process to use.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Science, Arts, and Technology and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2912, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2912, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Science, Arts, and Technology and Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing,

___________________________ RON MENOR, Chair		____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair