Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Media, Arts, Science, and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 625 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to clarify the legislature's intent that public, educational, and governmental (PEG) access organizations be subject to public scrutiny by requiring that the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' contracts with access organizations contain minimum requirements for public access to the organizations' meetings and records.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the League of Women Voters. Your Committees received testimony in opposition from 'Olelo Community Television, although it supports the intent of this measure. Your Committee also received comments regarding this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Office of Information Practices.

Your Committee heard testimony from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs regarding its ongoing contract negotiations with PEG access groups. Your Committee is confident that more stringent requirements can be negotiated by the department as part of this process.

Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the provisions of section 1, which are unnecessary.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Media, Arts, Science, and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 625, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 625, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Housing.