CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 21-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2016

RE:    S.B. No. 3110

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 3110, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TECHNOLOGY,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to continue efforts to diversify Hawaii's economy, assist small businesses conducting innovative research with their efforts toward commercialization, and promote manufacturing by:

     (1)  Extending, by one year, the lapse date for the appropriation of funds in Act 216, Session Laws of Hawaii 2015, for the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to provide grants and loans through the High Technology Development Corporation for federal Small Business Innovation Research Phase II and Phase III awards; and

     (2)  Appropriating funds for fiscal year 2016-2017 for providing grants and loans for Phases II and III awards.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that since 1989, the High Technology Development Corporation has been assisting Phase I Small Business Innovation Research award recipients to reach their commercial potential through the provision of grants.  This has proven to be successful for the businesses awarded a grant and the State.  Your Committee on Conference finds that this measure will ensure the continuation of the grant program for Phase II and Phase III awards and allow for more companies to achieve commercialization and increase the beneficial economic impacts of this program to the State.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the purposes of providing grants and loans for Phases II and III awards; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date for the fiscal year 2016-2017 appropriation to July 1, 2016.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3110, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3110, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ DEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI, Co-Chair	____________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair
____________________________ AARON LING JOHANSON, Co-Chair	____________________________ BRICKWOOD GALUTERIA, Co-Chair