THE SENATE

KA ‘AHA KENEKOA

THE THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE

INTERIM OF 2024

COMMITTEE ON ENERGY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM

Senator Lynn DeCoite, Chair

Senator Glenn Wakai, Vice Chair

COMMITTEE ON HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS

Senator Herbert M. “Tim” Richards, III, Interim Chair

Senator Kurt Fevella, Vice Chair

NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING

DATE:	Wednesday, October 30, 2024
TIME:	1:00 PM
PLACE:	Conference Room 229 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street

PHOTO ID REQUIRED FOR ENTRANCE TO THE STATE CAPITOL

BUILDING HOURS: 7AM TO 5PM, MONDAY - FRIDAY

A live stream of all Senate Standing Committee meetings will be available on the Senate YouTube Channel.

A G E N D A

The purpose of this informational briefing is to discuss telecommunications on Hawaiian Home Lands and provide an overview of Governor Green’s Emergency Proclamations, Relating to the Telecommunication of Hawaiian Home Lands, arising from an incident that occurred in early June 2024. On June 1, 2024, a significant announcement was made regarding the termination of services for up to 1,500 customers, a decision that has impacted numerous homestead households and businesses across the state, particularly those residing in remote communities. This situation raises critical questions about the future of service in these areas and the implications for the affected customers.

During this briefing, we will also discuss the next steps being considered by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) as they responded to this incident and their work towards solutions that prioritize the needs of those impacted.

We will hear from Spectrum Communications and Hawaiian Telcom as they stepped up to respond to this incident and work towards a solution to this unprecedented action that resulted in the Emergency Proclamations regarding Telecommunication on Hawaiian Home Lands.

Agenda

1. Welcome and Introductory Remarks

2. Overview of Telecommunication on Hawaiian Home Lands (7 min)

· Chair Kali Watson, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

3. Recent show-cause order regarding Emergency Proclamation Relating to Telecommunication on Hawaiian Home Lands. (7 min)

· Chair Leo Asuncion, Public Utilities Commission

4. Outline of Contributions to enhancing services on Hawaiian Home Lands. (3 min each)

· Spectrum

· Hawaiian Telcom

5. Q & A

6. Closing Remarks

No public testimony will be accepted.

The cable TV broadcast and/or live stream of this meeting will include closed captioning. If you require other auxiliary aids or services to participate in the public hearing process (i.e., interpretive services (oral or written) or ASL interpreter), please contact the committee clerk at least 24 hours prior to the hearing so that arrangements can be made.

FOR AMENDED NOTICES:  Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are underscored.  If a measure is both underscored and stricken through, that measure has been deleted from the agenda.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT (808) 587-7226.

_____________________________________ Senator Herbert M. “Tim” Richards, III Interim Chair	_____________________________________ Senator Lynn DeCoite Chair
	_____________________________________ Senator Ronald D. Kouchi President of the Senate