STAND. COM. REP. NO.  900

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 Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 597, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize and appropriate funds for the establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) permanent Broadband Coordinator position within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to create a state broadband plan and submit the plan, along with a proposal for the establishment of a broadband review panel to serve as a broadband regulatory authority, to the Legislature.

The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism provided comments on this measure.

     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. 597, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair