STAND. COM. REP. NO. 974-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2397

H.D. 3

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2397, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BROADBAND,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Hawaii Broadband Infrastructure Authority to oversee broadband infrastructure in the State;

(2) Strengthen and clarify the Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office's role with respect to broadband access and digital equity, including repealing the responsibility of the Office in promoting the trans-Pacific submarine cable; and

(3) Appropriate federal funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Ocean Networks, Inc.; and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from CTIA. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Department of Budget and Finance; Department of Transportation; University of Hawai‘i System; League of Women Voters of Hawaii; Charter Communications; Hawaiian Telcom; and one individual.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Ensuring that the Hawaii Broadband Infrastructure Authority captures all the available federal funding and coordinates funding efforts among all state agencies;

(2) Specifying certain budgetary information regarding federal funds received by the Authority to be included in the annual report to the Legislature;

(3) Changing the expending agency for the appropriation to the University of Hawaii; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2397, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2397, H.D. 3.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair