STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1044

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 80

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Education and Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 80 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING REPORTS ON THE FEASIBILITY OF USING EXISTING TELECONFERENCING AND VIDEOCONFERENCING FACILITIES FOR UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII BOARD OF REGENTS AND BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request reports from the University of Hawaii and the Department of Education on:

     (1)  Their respective inventory of existing teleconferencing and videoconferencing facilities and equipment; and

     (2)  The feasibility of holding at least one Board of Regents or Board of Education meeting, respectively, via videoconferencing or teleconferencing a year.

     Your Committees received comments on this measure from the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents.

     Your Committees find that teleconferencing and videoconferencing allow for greater participation by faculty, students, and community members in Board of Regents and Board of Education meetings.  Your Committees further find that teleconferencing and videoconferencing can significantly reduce the amount of time and money associated with inter-island travel to meetings.  Your Committees encourage the Board of Regents and Board of Education to look not just at the challenges but also the opportunities created by conducting meetings via teleconferencing and videoconferencing. 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requesting that the Board of Regents and Board of Education examine the general feasibility of holding Board of Regents and Board of Education meetings, including any community, committee, and subcommittee meetings, rather than the feasibility of holding a minimum of one meeting per year, via teleconferencing or videoconferencing; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Economic Development and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 80, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 80, S.D. 1.

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

____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair