Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3021, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to establish an open source software pilot project within the Department of Education.

The pilot program is intended to assist in establishing and implementing a policy on the purchase and use of open source software applications within the department.

In addition, the measure requires the Department of Education to submit a status report on this pilot project no later than twenty days prior to the regular session of 2006.

Your Committee finds that this open source software pilot project would enable the Department of Education to obtain, for no or low cost, software programs or utilities that it can modify to meet its specific needs. This pilot program may result in open source use in the future in statewide administrative systems and for school-based instructional purposes.

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. 3021, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.