STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1318

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 310

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Economic Development and Taxation, to which was referred H.B. No. 310, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TECHNOLOGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Establish a statewide Internet Access Task Force to study the feasibility of creating a statewide Internet access network; and

     (2)  Require the Auditor to develop a plan for a high-speed Internet access system.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; High Technology Development Corporation; and City and County of Honolulu Police Department.  The Department of Accounting and General Services submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has also heard support for S.C.R. No. 62, which would have established a comparable task force with similar goals.  Your Committee has incorporated concepts from S.C.R. No. 62 in this measure, and has amended it by:

     (1)  Changing the name of the task force to the Hawaii Broadband Task Force;

     (2)  Adding two representatives from county police departments or other first-responder agencies;

     (3)  Requiring the task force to create a Hawaii statewide Internet access plan for the development of a high‑speed, Internet broadband system, with assistance from the Auditor; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments to conform the measure to the preferred drafting style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Taxation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 310, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 310, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development and Taxation,

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair