STAND. COM. REP. NO.  131-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2473

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Economic Development & Business Concerns, to which was referred H.B. No. 2473 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TECHNOLOGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to accelerate the deployment of new advanced communications technologies in Hawaii by appropriating funds for fiscal year 2008-2009 to allow the Broadband Task Force (Task Force) to continue its work.

     A member of the Task Force supported this bill.  The Cable Television Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the High Technology Development Corporation supported the intent of the measure.

     Advanced broadband services are an essential infrastructure for an innovative, knowledge-based society and economy.  To accelerate development and adoption of the infrastructure for these services in Hawaii, the Legislature established the Task Force in 2007.  The funds provided by this bill will allow the Task Force to continue its efforts and develop a set of recommendations to be considered by the Legislature during the 2009 Regular Session.

     Your Committee has made technical, nonsubstantive amendments to this bill for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Business Concerns that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2473, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2473, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Business Concerns,

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair