STAND. COM. REP. NO. 878

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 617

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 617 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY GRANTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to promote the development of careers in science, technology, engineering, and math fields.

     More specifically, this measure:

(1)  Establishes a research and technology grant program for the High Technology Development Corporation to provide grants for research and technology companies in Hawaii;

(2)  Specifies requirements for the grants;

(3)  Requires the Corporation to submit biennial reports to the Legislature on the grants awarded; and

(4)  Appropriates funds for the grants.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, the High Technology Development Corporation, and Navatek.  Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the State Procurement Office.

     Your Committee finds that careers in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields are some of the fastest-growing professions.  However, these careers are not growing in Hawaii as fast as in other parts of the world.  Your Committee further finds that providing grants to research and development companies will  help to strengthen Hawaii's technology sector and achieve the High Technology Development Corporation's vision of creating eighty thousand new innovation jobs in Hawaii that pay salaries of $80,000 or more, by the year 2030.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(2)  Making a technical amendment for clarity.

     Your Committee notes that this measure was introduced with a blank appropriation.  Your Committee advises proponents of this measure to submit to subsequent Committees that hear this measure the appropriation amount deemed necessary for the successful implementation of this program.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 617, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 617, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair