STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2601

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2543

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2543, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TECHNOLOGY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure competitively-priced access to broadband communications for all households, businesses, and organizations throughout Hawaii by 2012.

     Specifically, this measure adds the following duties to those of the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs:

(1)  Promote telework alternatives for public and private employees;

(2)  Advise and assist state agencies relating to telecommuting;

(3)  Support efforts to deploy competitively-priced advanced electronic communications services;

(4)  Recommend ways to provide affordable broadband services to unserved areas in the State;

(5)  Advocate and facilitate deployment of various broadband-related activities;

(6)  Serve as a clearinghouse for federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 broadband-related services and programs; and

(7)  Report annually to the Legislature.

     This measure also establishes the telework promotion and broadband assistance advisory council to advise the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs on the development of telework and broadband polices.  This measure also requires the Director to convene a work group to develop procedures for streamlined permitting functions that are applicable to the development of broadband services and broadband technology.  The work group is required to submit a progress report to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2011.

     Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.  Written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that advanced broadband services are essential infrastructure for an innovation economy and a knowledge-based society.  High-speed broadband services at affordable prices are important to the advancement of education, health, public safety, research and innovation, civic participation, e‑government, economic development and diversification, and public safety and services.  This measure will help the State reach these goals.

     Your Committee has amended this measure to:

(1)  Change the effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion; and

(2)  Make 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. 2543, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2543, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair