STAND. COM. REP. NO. 422

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 752

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. 752 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TELECOMMUNICATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Office of Enterprise Technology Services to establish a temporary working group to conduct a study that identifies state office buildings that can allow certain residents, including residents with disabilities, to participate remotely in legislative hearings; and

(2) Require a report to the Legislature.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Office of Enterprise Technology Services, Hawaii State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Hawaii State Public Library System, Full Life, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Information Practices.

Your Committee finds that this measure promotes equal access to the legislative process to residents throughout the State, particularly residents in rural areas and residents with disabilities. According to testimony received by your Committee, when the Legislature began offering virtual testimony, the Hawaii State Library System, which has fifty-one locations across the State, began offering information and services for patrons to participate in the state legislative process at their local public library. This measure seeks to further encourage greater civic participation from residents of the State who have difficulty with physically accessing the State Capitol.

Your Committee recognizes the concerns of the Office of Information Practices regarding the working group's exemption from part I of chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to the Sunshine Law. Your Committee notes that during the public hearing on this measure, the Department of Accounting and General Services indicated that the Comptroller is able and willing to identify state resources that can allow certain residents to participate remotely in legislative hearings and report the findings to the Legislature before the Regular Session of 2024.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have required the Office Enterprise Technology Services to establish a temporary working group to conduct a study;

(2) Requiring the Comptroller, instead of a working group, to identify state office buildings that can provide equitable telecommunication access to allow certain residents to participate remotely in legislative hearings and report to the Legislature before the Regular Session of 2024;

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

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

(3) 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. 752, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 752, 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,

________________________________

SHARON MORIWAKI, Chair