STAND. COM. REP. NO.3319

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.C.R. No. 163

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 163 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING RESEARCH TO DEVELOP RECOMMENDATIONS TO ENABLE CITIZENS STATEWIDE TO HAVE AUDIO AND VIDEO ACCESS OVER THE INTERNET OF LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Legislative Reference Bureau to conduct research and develop specific recommendations for webcasting, which would allow anyone with an Internet connection to listen or watch legislative proceedings live, or, at their election, later on an archived basis.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Accounting and General Services, The League of Women Voters, Akaku: Maui Community Television, and Hawaii Public Access Media.

Your Committee finds that currently it is often difficult for community members interested in viewing legislative proceedings to access broadcasts of the proceedings. Rebroadcasts are usually scheduled during late hours, and there is no easy way to determine when a specific program may be aired.

Your Committee is strongly supportive of broader and easier access to legislative proceedings for members of the community who are unable to attend in person and must rely on some form of video or audio broadcasts. Your Committee is also committed to ensuring that residents of the Neighbor Islands – particularly in remote areas – have adequate access as well.

Your Committee has amended this measure to add the following:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to ensure the full participation of the Neighbor Island access organizations in the research and development of its recommendations; and

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 163, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 163, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs,

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair