STAND. COM. REP. NO. 351

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1848

       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 Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1848 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CABLE TELEVISION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to provide additional funding to support public, educational, and governmental cable television access. 

     Specifically, this measure authorizes the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to use funds in the Compliance Resolution Fund for the purpose of supporting public, educational, and governmental access facilities, equipment, and operations pursuant to the standards and conditions adopted in accordance with section 440G-15, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

     Your Committee finds that there is strong public interest in public, educational, and governmental access television.  By making public, educational, and governmental access television available, the State assists in providing a forum for free expression for the people of Hawaii.

     Your Committee has amended this measure, upon the recommendation of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, to:

     (1)  Earmark the additional funds for public, educational, and governmental access facilities, equipment, and operations in underserved areas; and

     (2)  Clarify that the use of funds from the Compliance Resolution Fund for public, educational, and governmental access facilities, equipment, and operations shall only be allowed if there are available funds over and above the funds needed for the operation of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs' cable television administration.

     The intent of this measure, as amended, is to provide additional funding for public, educational, and governmental access facilities, equipment, and operations in areas such as the neighbor islands, which are underserved by the current public, educational, and governmental access system.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1848, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1848, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair