STAND. COM. REP. NO.  567

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 358

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 358 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VIDEOCONFERENCING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase neighbor island residents' participation in state government by requiring both chambers of the Legislature to establish procedures through rules to enable neighbor island residents to present oral testimony at legislative committee hearings through the use of audiovisual technology and appropriating funds to support such a system.

Common Cause Hawaii, a councilmember from the Hawaii County Council, and two concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Office of Information Management and Technology and Department of Accounting and General Services offered comments on the measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the Legislature is only required to be equipped to receive live oral testimony from neighbor island residents at legislative committee hearings through the use of audio or audiovisual technology;

     (2)  Inserting language that requires each chamber of the Legislature to seek out executive agency sites or facilities which have existing audio and audiovisual capabilities that could be used to allow neighbor island residents to present live testimony from the neighbor islands; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 358, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 358, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair