STAND. COM. REP. NO. 351

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 256

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 256 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TELEWORK,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a telework task force to develop a comprehensive plan that will encourage and expand telework opportunities in Hawaii.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, the Leeward Oahu Transportation Management Association, ComTel Hawaii, and one concerned individual.  Testimony in opposition of this measure was submitted by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, and the Department of Human Resources Development.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that encouraging employers to develop a telework environment for their employees will encourage a better quality of life for people that would otherwise commute to work and it will also have a beneficial impact on Hawaii's environment, reduce traffic congestion, and reduce the State's dependence on fossil fuels.  Your Committee also finds that establishing a telework task force to develop incentives and recommendations for businesses and government agencies to implement telework programs is the appropriate mechanism to foster growth for telework participation throughout the State.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Directing the telework task force to develop incentives and recommendations for businesses and government agencies to implement telework programs throughout the State;

     (2)  Requiring the Legislative Reference Bureau to provide administrative and staffing support to the telework task force in drafting the report on its findings and recommendations to submit to the Legislature no later than August 1, 2010;

     (3)  Deleting the designation of the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, and the Director of Human Resources Development as co-chairs of the telework task force;

     (4)  Adding the requirement that the members of the telework task force shall collectively appoint a chairperson for the task force;

     (5)  Deleting the provision that the members of the telework task force serve without compensation, but be reimbursed for travel expenses;

     (6)  Requiring the telework task force to cease to exist on July 1, 2010;

     (7)  Deleting the appropriation clause; and

     (8)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 256, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 256, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development and Technology,

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair