STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3273

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2339

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Government Operations, to which was referred H.B. No. 2339, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO 911 SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Delete the term "enhanced" in reference to 911 services to allow funding of all 911 technologies; and

(2) Allow the 911 Board to employ staff, in addition to the Executive Director, exempt from the civil service and collective bargaining laws.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from State of Hawaii Enhanced 9-1-1 Board, Department of Accounting and General Services, Hawaii Office of Enterprise Technology Services, Public Utilities Commission, Honolulu Police Department City and County of Honolulu Department of Information and Technology, National Association of State 911 Administrators, and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that the term "enhanced" in existing law in reference to 911 services refers to a particular technology developed more than twenty years ago that allowed the display of the caller's telephone identification and location. Your Committee recognizes that since then, technology has evolved with improvements in services and changes in terminology, rendering the term "enhanced" outdated. However, existing statutory language identifies 911 services specifically as enhanced 911 services, thereby restricting funding solely for the outdated enhanced 911 services. By deleting the term "enhanced" from chapter 138, Hawaii Revised Statutes, regarding enhanced 911 services, this measure will allow the 911 Board to expend moneys to upgrade the State's system with the latest 911 technologies. This measure also allows for the conversion of existing staff positions of the 911 Board to permanent exempt positions, which is essential to ensure that long-term efforts to improve 911 services in the State are not hampered by turnover in leadership and support roles.

Your Committee notes that this measure does not include an appropriation section. However, to ensure the successful implementation of new 911 technologies for the safety and well-being of all residents and visitors of the State, your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Ways and Means to raise the expenditure ceiling for the 911 fund to enable the 911 Board to accommodate the rising costs to sustain and maintain the State's current 911 system.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2491, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) 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 Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2339, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2339, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Ways and Means and Commerce and Consumer Protection.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Operations,

________________________________

ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Chair