STAND. COM. REP. NO. 50

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1317

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Labor and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 1317 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BROADBAND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate general funds for federal broadband programs matching fund requirements.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor; Department of Budget and Finance; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; University of Hawai‘i System; Hawaii Primary Care Association; and Hawaiian Telcom Services Company, Inc.

Your Committee finds that the Legislature enacted Act 231, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, to ensure that it takes full advantage of available funds to build and maintain the broadband infrastructure necessary to sustain interconnectivity throughout the State. According to testimony received by your Committee, the State needs to demonstrate that matching funds are available to be awarded additional federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funding to improve broadband access in the State. Based on oral testimony received, your Committee further finds that the composition of the working group established pursuant to Act 231, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, should be amended to facilitate its purpose in determining the appropriate governance structure to implement, operate, and maintain broadband infrastructure development in the State.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Amending the language of Act 231, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, to require the Office of the Lieutenant Governor to convene and chair the working group;

(2) Amending section 1 to reflect its amended purpose;

(3) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1317, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1317, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor and Technology,

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SHARON MORIWAKI, Chair