STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2587

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3028

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 S.B. No. 3028 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 allow the 911 Board to:

(1) Fund all latest technologies in 911 services by deleting the word "enhanced" in state law governing 911 services; and

(2) Employ, in addition to staff who are also exempt from chapters 76 and 89, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to civil service and collective bargaining, respectively.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State of Hawaii Enhanced 9-1-1 Board, Public Utilities Commission, Office of Enterprise Technology Services, Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu Fire Department, Hawaii Police Department, City and County of Honolulu Department of Information Technology, Kauaʻi Police Department, and three individuals.

Your Committee finds that the term "enhanced" 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then, technology has evolved with improvements in services and changes in terminology, rendering the term "enhanced" outdated.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language identifies 911 services specifically as enhanced 911 services, thereby restricting funding solely for the outdated enhanced 911 services. According to multiple testimonies received by your Committee, the deletion of the term "enhanced" from chapter 138, Hawaii Revised Statutes, regarding enhanced 911 services, would allow the 911 Board to expend moneys to upgrade the system with the latest 911 technologies necessary for the safety and well-being of all residents and visitors of the State.

Your Committee notes that the Enhanced 911 Fund currently has about $28,000,000 in unencumbered funds and that the Enhanced 911 Board plans to spend only $8,000,000 on next generation 911 technologies, leaving $20,000,000 in the Enhanced 911 Fund.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language that amends the rate of the monthly enhanced 911 surcharge from 66 cents for each communications service connection to 33 cents for accounts with a single communications service connection and 66 cents for accounts with multiple communications service connections;

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

(3) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2112, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee further notes that the rate changes made in this measure, as amended, will bring savings to consumers by charging the monthly enhanced 911 surcharge by account as opposed to per line.

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 S.B. No. 3028, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3028, 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