STAND. COM. REP. NO.  775

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.B. No. 610

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 610, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to allow Hawaii to further develop the high technology sector of the economy by establishing a Hawaii State Science and Technology Task Force (Task Force) within the High Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) to:

 

(1)  Evaluate the effectiveness of past high technology legislation;

 

(2)  Develop a Hawaii State Science and Technology Plan (Plan) including goals, a plan to reach the goals, and a timeline for implementation and completion;

 

(3)  Create guidelines for future science and high technology legislation; and

 

(4)  Recommend science and high technology legislation to meet Plan goals.

 

This measure also appropriates an unspecified amount of funds for the Task Force.

 

     The Department of Education testified in support of this bill.  The Hawaii Science & Technology Council, Cellular Bioengineering, Inc., and Cardax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., testified in opposition to this measure.  The Statewide EPSCoR Committee, University of Hawaii, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, and HTDC provided comments on this bill.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion.

 

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

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair