THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

58

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE RESOLUTION

 

Requesting the Department of Commerce and Consumer affairs, the department of accounting and general services, the university of hawaii, and the department of education TO create and issue a coordinated strategy for the institutional network and the Public, Education, and government access system.

 

WHEREAS, the Institutional Network is a statewide telecommunications network providing high speed connectivity for governmental and educational purposes by utilizing the infrastructure of cable television operators; and

WHEREAS, in exchange for the use of valuable public rights-of-way, cable franchise holders are required to set aside channels for Public, Education, and Government Access; and

WHEREAS, the Institutional Network provides essential broadband telecommunication services to various state agencies, the University of Hawaii, and the counties, and these services include real-time distribution of educational curriculum and instructional material, video conferencing capabilities, and real-time data exchange between various government agencies and private businesses; and

WHEREAS, the Public, Education, and Government Access system provides a critical public forum that encourages the discussion of important policy issues by concerned members of the public; and

WHEREAS, the State has embarked on an unprecedented expansion of the Institutional Network on the islands of Hawaii, Oahu, and Maui, and there are also plans to connect the island of Kauai to the Institutional Network by the middle of 2004 in furtherance of the goal of a seamless interconnected statewide Institutional Network; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Education has also embarked on an ambitious plan over the next four years to connect more public schools located on the outer islands or in geographically isolated areas to the Institutional Network, which will enable the Department of Education to provide critical administrative support services to schools in a timely and efficient manner, make high speed network connectivity more readily available for students, and provide multimedia applications for staff training and use in educational curriculum; and

WHEREAS, there are areas throughout the State that are not presently served by the Public, Education and Government Access system, although there is growing momentum in various communities across the State supporting the expansion of this system; and

WHEREAS, these ambitious expansion plans are designed to meet the increased demand on both the Institutional Network as well as the Public, Education, and Government Access system in the near future as well as provide a greater array of telecommunications related services; and

WHEREAS, to ensure that the future expansion of both the Institutional Network and the Public, Education, and Government Access system is carried out in a well-coordinated and cost efficient manner, it is imperative that state officials and experts from the University of Hawaii work together to ensure that a seamless interconnected statewide Institutional Network and an expanded Public, Education, and Government Access system becomes a reality; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that the Department of Accounting and General Services, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Department of Education, and the University of Hawaii are requested to form an intergovernmental committee, charged with the task of examining the current structure of the Institutional Network and the Public, Education, and Government Access system and formulating a coordinated intergovernmental strategy designed to improve and expand the Institutional Network as well as the Public, Education, and Government Access system to meet future demand on both systems; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in formulating this strategy, this intergovernmental committee is encouraged to gather and analyze all relevant and necessary data, consult with experts, and seek input from members of the private sector in making any suggestions or recommendations to the Legislature; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any findings and recommendations made by this intergovernmental committee with regards to improving and expanding the Institutional Network as well as the Public, Education, and Government Access system shall be submitted to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in formulating this intergovernmental strategy, it is requested that the University of Hawaii be charged with the responsibility of overseeing and leading this effort; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the State Comptroller, the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Superintendent of Education, the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, and the Chief Information Officer of the University of Hawaii.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Study of the Institutional Network by DAGS, DOE, DCCA, and UH.