CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 119

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2009

RE:    H.B. No. 610

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 610, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, entitled:

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

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to focus State economic planning on the growth of science and technology industries by:

(1)  Requiring the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) to annually update and report to the Legislature on the criteria used to measure the growth of Hawaii's emerging growth industries, instead of reporting on the impact of DBEDT's efforts on those industries; and

(2)  Focusing the Hawaii State Planning Act's economic objectives and policies on the development and expansion of businesses and activities in science, technology, and related emerging growth industries.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this bill by removing its substance, which is contained in the Conference Draft of another bill, and inserting the House Draft 2 of this bill, in an amended form.

     As amended, this bill requires Hawaii EPSCoR, the federally-funded Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, within the University of Hawaii, to develop the Hawaii State Science and Technology Plan (Plan) with the assistance of the High Technology Development Corporation.

     A subcommittee of Hawaii EPSCoR has already begun preparing a plan.  This measure requires Hawaii EPSCoR to incorporate its past planning efforts into the Plan, conduct further Plan development in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, and submit the completed Plan to the Legislature in 2011.

     This bill, as amended, becomes effective on July 1, 2009.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 610, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 610, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair	____________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Co-Chair
____________________________ SHAN S. TSUTSUI, Co-Chair	____________________________ ISAAC W. CHOY, Co-Chair