Report Title:

Public, Education, and Government Access, Plan

Description:

Requires the establishment of an infrastructure and programming plan for the public, access, and education (PEG) access organizations. Establishes special fund.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1443

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO PUBLIC, EDUCATION, AND GOVERNMENT ACCESS ORGANIZATIONS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Hawaii currently has four public, education, and government access organizations that function independently in their mission to provide public, education, and government access to all state residents. Lack of a cohesive plan for infrastructure and programming has handicapped them in fulfilling this goal. One of these access organizations is substantially better-funded than the others and is able to offer additional opportunities to the population it serves, yet this organization has also been criticized for the barriers it places before residents who want simple access without excessive technical knowledge. A sharing and pooling of plans and resources can result in better service for all state residents.

Hawaii is an island state; public, education, and government access is more a necessity for our residents than states that can be fully accessed by car. We need to reduce our information gap and strengthen our public, education, and government access for all citizens through a unified infrastructure and programming plan. The existing access organizations will continue to run the access operations, but under the guidance of uniform, integrated plan.

SECTION 2. Chapter 440G, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new sections to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§440G-A Public, education, and government access; unified plan special fund. There is established in the state treasury the public, education, and government access unified plan special fund, into which shall be deposited:

(1) Ten per cent of the annual revenues from each public, education, and government access organization, paid quarterly;

(2) Private contributions; and

(3) Any appropriations by the legislature.

(b) Moneys in the special fund shall be expended by the department to be used by the access organizations to implement the unified plan provisions of section 440G-B, including bringing up the standards of all access organizations to a single statewide standard.

§440G-B Public, education, and government access, unified plan. (a) All public, education, and government access organizations shall participate in devising and implementing a unified plan to address individual and common infrastructure and programming issues. The plan shall also set standards for access in creating programming, training, and use of equipment. Further, the plan shall devise a mechanism to facilitate the sharing of programming between access organizations.

(b) Upon request by any of the access organizations, the department shall facilitate in the process of devising and implementing the plan."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

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