STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2849

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 3168

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3168, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CREATIVE MEDIA,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to statutorily establish the Academy for Creative Media Program to develop a skilled workforce to support digital media production and provide creative career and business opportunities for Academy students.

     The measure also:

     (1)  Designates the location of the program to be at the University of Hawaii at West Oahu and specifies its management structure; and

     (2)  Deletes provisions related to the program leasing the Public Broadcasting System facility.

     One individual submitted testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Education, Chair of the Academy of Creative Media Program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and four individuals submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.  The University of Hawaii System and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism submitted comments.

     Your Committee finds that the proposal to establish the Academy for Creative Media Program in the College of Arts and Sciences was approved by the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii on January 16, 2004.  In supporting documents presented to the Board, the program was described as "a system-wide endeavor for fostering a progressive and collaborative environment for students, faculty, campuses and departments, while effectively interfacing with global academic, technology and commercial economies.  Initially, students will receive credit and degrees, where appropriate, through existing programs.  New programs will be developed and approved via established Board of Regents procedures and processes.  New programs envisioned include certificate programs, an AA in Creative Media, a BA in Creative Media, an MA in Critical Studies, MFAs in Animation and Computer Games, Writing for Visual Media, Cinematic and Digital Production, Producing, and Innovation Technologies and Creative Media, and a PhD in Critical Studies."

     Your Committee further finds that the program has been highly successful in building the collaborative environment and in sustaining an effective global interface during the past four years, in spite of the resource constraints faced by the program.  In order to establish "a robust academic, industrial and community framework for the formation and sustainability of a knowledge-based, creative media industry in Hawaii," now is the time for the legislature to support the program's expansion and development of its production-oriented facilities into locations beyond a single campus.

     Your Committee believes that this measure provides the means for the program to capitalize upon its earlier achievements, by progressing to the next step in building a system-wide program, and takes Hawaii one step closer towards building the knowledge, creative-based industries of the twenty-first century.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting references in the measure that relate to the establishment of the Academy for Creative Media Program at the West Oahu campus;

     (2)  Emphasizing that the program and any degrees offered pursuant thereto should be system‑wide and statewide in nature;

     (3)  Specifying that the appropriation for the program should be expended to expand programs and facilities at a system‑wide, statewide level administered by the University of Hawaii;

     (4)  Providing that the expansion of programs and facilities should be directed to the West Oahu‑Kapolei region; and

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3168, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3168, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair