STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1241

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1000

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1000, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ENHANCED 911 SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to make amendments to chapter 138, Hawaii Revised Statutes, regarding provision of enhanced 911 services.

Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Renames the Wireless Enhanced 911 Board the Enhanced 911 Board;

     (2)  Expands the Enhanced 911 Board's membership from eleven to thirteen to include an additional representative from the City and County of Honolulu and a representative of a provider of voice over internet protocol communications service;

     (3)  Expands the monthly enhanced 911 surcharge, now paid only by wireless connection subscribers, to all communication service connections, except those provided by the public utility providing land line enhanced 911 services;

     (4)  Expands the authority of the Board to make expenditures from the Enhanced 911 Fund from those necessary to recover the cost of providing wireless enhanced 911 service to include expenditures for sustaining current enhanced 911 service and funding future technologies;

     (5)  Permits the public utility providing land line enhanced 911 services to retain the land line enhanced 911 service surcharge authorized by section 269-16.95, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and prohibits payments to the public utility from the Enhanced 911 Fund for the cost of providing enhanced 911 services;

     (6)  Prohibits the Board from retaining an accounting firm, consultant, or other third party if the third party has a conflict of interest;

     (7)  Extends the State's limitation of liability with regard to provision of enhanced 911 services to accounting firms, consultants, or other third parties retained buy the Board;

     (8)  Adds and amends definitions; and

     (9)  Authorizes the Board to adopt administrative rules pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from Paul K. Ferreira, Chair, Wireless Enhanced 911 Board, State of Hawaii; Kenneth G. Silva, Chair, State Fire Council and Fire Chief of the Honolulu Fire Department; Jeffrey A. Murray, Fire Chief, County of Maui, Department of Fire & Public Safety; and Robert Westerman, Fire Chief, Kauai Fire Department, County of Kauai.

     Your Committee finds that efficient management of 911 emergency networks saves lives and dramatically reduces the liability of government entities and agencies.  The technologies involved in providing enhanced 911 services have converged to a point where systems required to provide these services are blended and evolving to accept other forms of communications, including text, video, and telematics data.  Your Committee further finds that this measure will assist in enhancing 911 emergency telephone reporting services and allow for the delivery of emergency services via 911 from all communications technologies.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting the definition of "competitive local exchange carrier" because the term is not used in the measure; and

     (2)  Changing all references to the "local exchange carrier" and "local exchange" to the "public utility providing telecommunications services and land line enhanced 911 services through section 269-16.95" and "telecommunications services and land line services", respectively.

     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 H.B. No. 1000, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1000, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair