Report Title:

Pilot Project; Open Source Software; DOE; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes an open source software pilot project within the department of education to establish a policy on the purchase and use of open source software applications within the department; appropriates $1 (HB1739 HD1).

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1739

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to the department of education.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that state government agencies are among the largest consumers of computer software within the State. However, commercial applications are developed for multiple purposes, some of which are not necessarily compatible with government functions and operations. As a result, government agencies are often required to hire private sector consultants to modify commercial software and solve programming problems in software programs that may not fully meet their needs or requirements.

The legislature further finds that open source software provides the opportunity for state agencies to procure at low or no cost, software programs or utilities that the particular agency can modify to meet the agency's specific needs. Open source standards based software provides the underlying code to customers, offering cheaper and more flexible options to government agencies than do expensive proprietary applications and operating systems, which provide few additional benefits. Open source software would allow government agencies to view and modify source code, which is not possible in proprietary software that is expensive to purchase and maintain. In addition, open source software customers generally pay for only training and support, not for the code itself. Upon modification, open source software may be shared or used by other agencies that may make subsequent changes to the software. Also, criteria have been adopted by the open source initiative to protect its credibility and to ensure that users of open source software products are not harmed.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to establish a pilot project in the department of education to establish a policy supporting purchase and use of open source software applications within the department of education.

SECTION 2. There is established in the department of education an open source software pilot project to establish an open software purchase and use policy and to purchase open source software applications and utilities that offer unrestricted access to source code for use within the department. The department shall submit a status report on the pilot project to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2006. The report shall include a cost/benefit analysis that includes the total cost of support and maintenance of open source software. The report shall make recommendations regarding the pilot project, including whether it:

(1) Should be continued as a demonstration project, with or without changes;

(2) Discontinued; or

(3) Replicated as similar pilot projects to be implemented in other state departments or agencies.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005 for the establishment of the open source software pilot project within the department of education.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2004.