STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3033

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 73

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 73 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF AEROSPACE DEVELOPMENT TO COORDINATE COMMENTS AND IDENTIFY A LEAD ENTITY TO PREPARE A PROPOSAL, ON BEHALF OF THE STATE, FOR HAWAII TO BE SELECTED AS ONE OF THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION'S SIX UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM TEST SITES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Director of the Office of Aerospace Development to coordinate comments and identify a lead entity to prepare a proposal, on behalf of the State, for Hawaii to be selected as one of the Federal Aviation Administration's six unmanned aircraft system test sites.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Enterprise Honolulu; The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; Hawaii Aerospace Advisory Committee; DreamHammer, Inc.; and The Boeing Company.

     Your Committee finds that the Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 require the Federal Aviation Administration to establish six unmanned aircraft system test sites.  The Federal Aviation Administration has recently initiated a search for the six unmanned aircraft system test sites in the United States.  The selection of Hawaii as a national unmanned aircraft system test site would establish the State as a nationally recognized center of excellence for the development and testing of advanced aviation technologies, create high-paying jobs, and generate external revenue streams to the State.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 73 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs,

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair