STAND. COM. REP. NO.  640

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 597

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Economic Development & Business, to which was referred H.B. No. 597 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure, as received by your Committee, is to make a technical amendment to the general objectives, functions, and duties of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT).

     For the purpose of a public hearing on this bill, your Committee circulated a Proposed H.B. No. 597, H.D. 1 (Proposed Draft), and notified the public that it would be accepting testimony on the Proposed Draft, which, among other things:

(1)  Authorizes the establishment within DBEDT of one full-time equivalent permanent Broadband Coordinator position to create a state broadband plan;

(2)  Specifies a minimum of six content areas that must be in the plan;

(3)  Requires the Broadband Coordinator to develop and include in a report to the Legislature, legislation to establish a Broadband Review Panel to serve as a Broadband Regulatory Authority; and

(4)  Appropriates funds for the Broadband Coordinator position.

DBEDT submitted comments on this bill.

     Your Committee considered the merits of both the H.B. 597, as received by your Committee, and the Proposed Draft, and after careful consideration, adopted the Proposed Draft with the following amendments:

     (1)  Authorizing the Broadband Coordinator to consider for inclusion in the state broadband plan the six content areas that were required to be in the plan;

     (2)  Specifying three new content areas that must be include in the plan;

     (3)  Amending the effective date to July 1, 2038, to facilitate further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Business that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 597, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 597, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Business,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair