CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 182

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2007

RE:    H.B. No. 310

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 310, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TECHNOLOGY,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to invest in Hawaii's human resources by establishing a Hawaii Broadband Task Force (Task Force) to develop a long-term strategy to offer affordable Internet access and promote broadband usage statewide.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by:

(1)  Specifying that the Task Force is to be comprised of three members of the House of Representatives and Senate, respectively, four representatives of government entities, and five representatives from the private sector;

(2)  Providing that the government and private sector representatives are to be appointed jointly by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

(3)  Requiring the Auditor to provide research and support services to the Task Force;

(4)  Clarifying that the Task Force is to make findings and recommendations to improve Hawaii's broadband capabilities and services, and removing language requiring Task Force plans to encompass the actual development and installation of a broadband system;

(5)  Removing the appropriation for the Task Force;

(6)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2007; and

(7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the Task Force will identify means of leveraging federal and other private sector opportunities to develop and improve Hawaii's broadband capabilities.  The Task Force's study and recommendations will allow Hawaii to take the essential first steps toward keeping pace with the advances in information technology that are reshaping our world.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 310, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 310, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair	____________________________ KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Co-Chair
____________________________ SHAN S. TSUTSUI, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROLAND D. SAGUM III, Co-Chair