STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2051

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2394

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Economic Development and Taxation, to which was referred S.B. No. 2394 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to clarify the awards procedures for federal small business innovation research grants (SBIR) or federal small business technology transfer program grants (STTR).

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the High Technology Development Corporation (HTDC).

     Your Committee finds that this measure will further strengthen the successful SBIR/STTR program in Hawaii by providing additional flexibility to HTDC in its awards procedures.  In particular it will benefit small businesses with exceptional SBIR/STTR projects by authorizing larger state grants to accelerate commercialization, and first time recipients by placing a priority on first awards over multiple award grantees.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Taxation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2394 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 Economic Development and Taxation,

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair