Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Legislative Management, to which was referred S.B. No. 2806, S.D. 2, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to enhance public access to the legislative process by appropriating an unspecified sum of funds to provide video and audio transmission of legislative sessions and hearings on the Internet.

Olelo Community Television, The League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. The Disability and Communications Access Board offered comments.

A process known as "streaming media" or "webcasting" allows video or audio signals of an event to be transmitted through computer servers and broadcast on the Internet. Users can see or listen to the event wherever computers are available, including in public libraries, schools, and other public places. This service could result in increasing public access to the legislative process at a low cost to the State.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

Increasing the number of video systems will not add any additional cost to the project. Moreover, existing equipment can accommodate two video systems.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Legislative Management that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2806, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2806, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.