Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 959, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to direct the allocation of access operating fees collected by cable television operators to provide equal funding to public, educational, and governmental access programming.

In its franchising agreements with cable operators, the State requires that a percentage of channel capacity and gross revenues be made available for community access. The State delegated the oversight of these community access channels to a public, educational, and governmental or "PEG" access organization in each of the four counties of the State.

Your Committee is aware that on the county of Maui funding for the educational component of community access is not in comparable proportion with the public and governmental components, having decreased from twenty-nine to nine per cent of total funding. This measure would ensure equitable allocation of funding for each component of community access. Your Committee is also aware of the importance of local community control in access matters and understands that active negotiations to resolve funding matters between the access provider and parties representing the education community are in progress.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended the bill by:

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. 959, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 959, S.D. 2.