STAND. COM. REP. NO.  901-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1595

      H.D. 2

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1595, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LEGISLATIVE TESTIMONY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a remote testimony task force to develop procedures to allow the public to submit testimony remotely via the Internet during legislative proceedings.

The Office of Enterprise Technology Services, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Aloha State Association of the Deaf, Common Cause Hawaii, Ulupono Initiative, Democratic Party of Hawaii, and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  Ho‘omana Pono, LLC opposed this measure.  The Disability and Communication Access Board and an individual commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to facilitate further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1595, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1595, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair