STAND. COM. REP. NO. 745

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 896

       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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 896, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HIGH TECHNOLOGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to support the operations and programs of a state-operated technology incubator and innovation center in the Kakaako district of downtown Honolulu.

More specifically, this measure authorizes the High Technology Development Corporation to negotiate a lease agreement and guaranty for a period of ten years for approximately ninety‑nine thousand square feet of laboratory and office space in a life sciences research complex in Kakaako.  This measure also appropriates unspecified amounts for fiscal year 2007-2008 and fiscal year 2008-2009 for this purpose.

Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the High Technology Development Corporation, the Hawaii Community Development Authority, the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, the University of Hawaii Office of Technology Transfer and Economic Development, Ambient Micro, LLC, Applied Marine Solutions, Cardax Pharmaceuticals, Geo-Recovery Hawaii, Inc., Hawaii Science and Technology Council, Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning, LLC, Kamehameha Schools, KUD International and Phase 3 Properties, Kuehnle AgroSystems, LLC, National Defense Center of Excellence for Research in Ocean Studies, Neptune Technologies, Inc., The Pacific Resource Partnership; Pacific Sun Energy Corporation, Quantum Leap Interactive, 21st Century Systems, Inc., and three private citizens.  The Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that there is a shortage of incubator and specialized laboratory space, particularly near the medical school, and that there is widespread support for the state‑of‑the‑art facilities that would be provided through this measure.  It is the intent of your Committee to continue legislative discussions on this measure.

     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. 896, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair