Authorizes the department of commerce and consumer affairs to develop a statewide public affairs programming system.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

SECTION 1. Currently, public access programming is available to the residents of each county of the State through public, educational, and governmental (PEG) access organizations, including Na Leo O Hawaii, Olelo, Hoike, and Akaku. These organizations operate as independent and separate entities with their own programming, and there is no entity that distributes public access programming statewide. The legislature finds that the establishment of a statewide entity would maximize the benefits of public programming by providing for statewide distribution of programming on public affairs events and proceedings.

In January 2004, the department of commerce and consumer affairs issued the Plan for Public, Education, and Government Access or PEG Plan. This report was the result of public meetings held throughout the State to solicit public comments on the department's proposed plan for the future development of PEG access television in Hawaii. The report referred to public comments expressing the need for more civic affairs programming, including state and county legislative, executive, and judicial proceedings, as well as community-based activities such as neighborhood board meetings, to encourage public interest and participation in the democratic process. One option discussed in the PEG Plan is the development of a system of statewide distribution of civic or public affairs television programming.

Under this system, known as the Hawaii Statewide Civic Affairs Network or HI-SCAN, an independent nonprofit entity would produce and distribute public affairs programming throughout the State, similar to what C-SPAN does on a national level. The PEG Plan found that the idea of a C-SPAN-like entity for Hawaii has potential, but requires the consideration of issues such as funding, channel capacity, and duplication of services provided by PEG access organizations. The report concluded that before the HI-SCAN concept can move forward, a dialogue on these issues is required between stakeholders, including the concept's proponents, the cable operator, government agencies, and PEG entities.

The purpose of this Act is to require the department of commerce and consumer affairs to develop a plan for a statewide public affairs programming system.

SECTION 2. The department of commerce and consumer affairs shall develop a plan for a statewide system for the production and distribution of governmental and public affairs programming, which shall include a statewide PEG affiliated cable channel.

The department shall submit the statewide public official programming plan to the legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the regular session of 2007.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006.