STAND. COM. REP. NO. 290-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 1613

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Economic Development & Technology, to which was referred H.B. No. 1613 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to establish advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity specialist and marketing and branding specialist positions.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiʻi Technology Development Corporation; ThriveHI; Hawaii Pacific Drone Solutions; Maui Brewing Co.; Blue Startups; Aidgentic LLC; Pacific Impact Zone; Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Hawaii Food Industry Association; Hawaii Tech Week; Small Kine Farm; Hawaii Ocean Power Solutions LLC; Gtscientific LLC; Oihana.org; Simonpietri Enterprises LLC; Builders VC; Namaka Algae, Inc.; and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Legislature adopted House Concurrent Resolution No. 156, Regular Session of 2025, requesting the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to increase its focus on advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity. Your Committee further finds that the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation previously relied on federal funding through the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Partnership to support advanced manufacturing initiatives; however, this funding has been terminated. This measure seeks to strengthen Hawaii's technology and innovation ecosystem by funding new positions in the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation to support these initiatives.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Updating the preamble to recognize the adoption of House Resolution No. 67, Regular Session of 2025, which requested the Department of Education and University of Hawaii to assess criteria required to establish an educational pipeline and curriculum related to advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity;

(2) Changing the appropriations to unspecified amounts;

(3) Changing the number of full-time positions to unspecified numbers; and

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider appropriation amounts of:

(1) $100,000 for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity specialist position; and

(2) $100,000 for one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) permanent marketing and branding position.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1613, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1613, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Technology,

____________________________

GREGGOR ILAGAN, Chair