STAND. COM. REP. NO.  875-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 2543

      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. 2543, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BROADBAND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to enhance access to broadband internet by permanently extending the provisions of Act 151, Session Laws of Hawaii 2011, and Act 264, Session Laws of Hawaii 2013, which expedite the approval process for broadband-related permit applications and exempt the installation, improvement, construction, or development of broadband infrastructure from most state and county permitting and approval requirements.

The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Oceanic Time Warner Cable, Hawaiian Electric Company, Hawaii Electric Light Company, Maui Electric Company, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, and Hawaiian Telcom provided testimony in support of the measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2030, to encourage further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of 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. 2543, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2543, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair