STAND. COM. REP. NO.  172

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2023

 

RE:   H.B. No. 395

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Economic Development, to which was referred H.B. No. 395 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation for the Corporation's Small Business Innovation Research Program.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation; University of Hawai‘i System; Blue Startups; Ocean Era, Inc.; PacMar Technologies; Ocean People, Inc.; The Patisserie Inc.; Premier Solutions HI, LLC; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Island Grown Foods, Inc. dba: Hawaii Food Products; Experiad; Hawaii Fish Company Inc.; Televoice 2000; Guide Star Engineering, LLC; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; Orig Media; Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc.; Referentia Systems; Kō Bakery; Oceanit; Mana Up; and three individuals.

 

     Your Committee recognizes that the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation supports initiatives aimed at growing technology and innovation jobs.  Your Committee further finds that the Corporation's Small Business Innovation Research Program provides matching grant funding and wrap-around support services to small businesses in the State to assist small businesses in their early efforts to develop new technologies, which your Committee believes will help build a successful innovation ecosystem in Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 395, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 395, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DANIEL HOLT, Chair