STAND. COM. REP. NO.  290-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 3360

      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. 3360 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to better coordinate the State's progress toward an economy that is well-grounded in the lucrative fields of science and technology.  Specifically, this bill establishes and appropriates funds for the Hawaii State Science and Technology Task Force (Task Force) within the High Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) to, among other things, develop the Hawaii State Science and Technology Plan (Plan).

     The dean of the University of Hawaii (UH) at Manoa College of Engineering testified in support of this bill.  UH and HTDC supported the intent of this measure.  The Hawaii Science & Technology Council opposed this bill.  The Office of Information Practices offered comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring HTDC and, if necessary, DBEDT, to provide administrative and staff support for the Task Force;

     (2)  Increasing the composition of the Task Force from 13 to 16 members and changing the membership as follows:

          (A)  One member selected by Hawaii's most senior United States Senator;

          (B)  The Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, or the Director's designee;

          (C)  The Superintendent of the Department of Education, or the Superintendent's designee;

          (D)  One member selected by the Chairperson of the board of directors of the High Technology Development Corporation;

          (E)  Three members from the UH system, appointed by the President of UH; provided that at least one member shall represent a neighbor island community college;

          (F)  One member selected by the President of the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board;

          (G)  One member selected by the President of the Maui Economic Development Board;

          (H)  One member selected by the President of the Kauai Economic Development Board;

          (I)  One member selected by the President of Enterprise Honolulu;

          (J)  Three senior-level business leaders from Hawaii's emerging science and technology sectors, one each to be appointed by the Governor, President of the Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives;

          (K)  The President of the Senate, or the President's designee, to serve as an ex officio non-voting member; and

          (L)  The Speaker of the House of Representatives, or the Speaker's designee, to serve as an ex officio non-voting member;

     (3)  Extending by one year the submittal date for the Task Force's report to 20 days prior to the convening 2010 Regular Session; and

     (4)  Requiring the Task Force to provide an updated report reassessing the Plan, every five years after the first submittal in 2010.

     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. 3360, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 3360, 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