STAND. COM. REP. NO. 229

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1561

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1561 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A NON-EMERGENCY REPORTING SYSTEM, KNOWN AS 3-1-1,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make an appropriation for development of a non-emergency reporting system, known as 3-1-1.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Defense, Honolulu Customer Services Department, Honolulu Police Department, and American Heart Association.  Comments were submitted by Cingular Wireless.

     Your Committee finds that a 3-1-1 system is necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, while providing better access to public services.  The City and County of Honolulu proposes to develop a 3-1-1 system to better serve the residents of the State.  The City and County of Honolulu, through the Mayor's office and the Customer Services Department, is currently defining requirements for a 3-1-1 system, working together with first responders and neighbor island counties.  The City and County of Honolulu will create a model of 3-1-1 that can be designed to allow any county to participate and also provide support for state functions.

     Initially, this system can be used to relieve the 9-1-1 system of non-emergency phone calls that number over one million calls annually.  Subsequently, the services could expand to include all of the services offered by each county.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1561 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair