CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 222

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 934

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 934, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII BROADBAND AND DIGITAL EQUITY OFFICE,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Rename the Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office as the Broadband Office and transfer the Office from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to the Office of Enterprise Technology Services in the Department of Accounting and General Services;

(2) Repeal broadband duties assigned to the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs;

(3) Repeal the Broadband Assistance Advisory Council;

(4) Transfer the duty of collecting and posting certain broadband infrastructure notices to the Broadband Office;

(5) Establish the Broadband Revolving Fund; and

(6) Appropriate funds into and out of the Broadband Revolving Fund for the reimbursement of contracts executed by the Broadband Office and to establish Digital Navigator positions.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Establishing the Broadband Office within the Department of Accounting and General Services instead of specifically in the Office of Enterprise and Technology Services;

(2) Clarifying that the Broadband Office shall advise the Comptroller, instead of the Chief Information Officer, on broadband deployment;

(3) Clarifying that expenditures from the Broadband Revolving Fund shall be made by the Broadband Office advised by the Information Technology Steering Committee and subject to prior approval by the Comptroller;

(4) Inserting an appropriation amount of $800,000 out of the Broadband Revolving Fund to fund and establish six full-time equivalent Digital Navigator positions;

(5) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2025; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 934, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 934, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ LYNN DECOITE Chair	____________________________ GREGGOR ILAGAN Co-Chair
____________________________ GLENN WAKAI Co-Chair	____________________________ KYLE T. YAMASHITA Co-Chair