STAND. COM. REP. NO.  623-12

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

RE:   H.B. No. 2524

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 2524, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to modernize the State's broadband and telecommunications infrastructure by, among other things:

     (1)  Establishing a Communications Division within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to be headed by the Communications Commissioner;

     (2)  Granting general regulatory supervision over all telecommunications carriers and cable operators to the Commissioner and transferring certain regulatory functions from the Public Utilities Commission to the Communications Division;

     (3)  Requiring the Commissioner to develop programs and initiatives to encourage and facilitate the deployment of broadband services and access to those services within the State; and

     (4)  Requiring the Commissioner to investigate measures to streamline and expedite permitting and approval processes for the construction of broadband service infrastructure.

The Office of the Governor, Public Utilities Commission, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism supported this bill.  Oceanic Time Warner Cable and tw telecom of hawaii lp opposed this measure.  The State Procurement Office, Office of Information Practices, Department of Human Resources Development, Hawaiian Telcom, AT&T, Life of the Land, Hawaiian Electric Company, Hawaii Electric Light Company, and Maui Electric Company provided comments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2524, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to the Committees on Finance and Legislative Management.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair