STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2978

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1153

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1153, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REMOTE TESTIMONY IN LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for a remote legislative access program.

Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the Office of Enterprise Technology Services; Disability and Communication Access Board; Mayor of the County of Hawaii; Common Cause Hawaii; Environmental Caucus, The Democratic Party of Hawaii; Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations; Hawaii Government Employees Association; Hawaii SEED; Indivisible Hawaii; Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce; LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Rancho Aloha Kona Coffee; Save Ala Moana Beach Park Hui; Sustainable Action Fund for the Environment/SAFE; Transform Hawaii Government; Young Progressives Demanding Action; and twenty individuals.

Your Committee finds that this measure will enable persons having disabilities, residents of rural Oahu, and neighbor island residents to more fully participate in the legislative process without experiencing inconvenient, expensive, or time-consuming travel to the Capitol.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2019-2020;

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

(3) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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 H.B. No. 1153, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1153, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair