STAND. COM. REP. NO. 992

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 784

H.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 784, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CABLE TELEVISION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide equal financing to each of the public, educational, and governmental access programming groups for the county of Maui. Specifically, this bill will require cable franchise fees paid in connection with the cable television service in the county of Maui to be distributed as follows:

(1) One-third to Maui Community College and the Department of Education (DOE) to provide educational programming;

(2) One-third to the County of Maui to provide financial, operational, and technical resources for governmental access programming; and

(3) One-third to the Maui access organization that will provide public access programming.

Numerous concerned individuals testified in support of this bill. A concerned individual supported the intent of this measure. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Olelo Community Television, The League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Hale Lokomaikai Women Helping Women, Life of the Land, and numerous concerned individuals opposed this bill.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Appropriating funds for infrastructure upgrades to telecommunications systems within DOE so that students, teachers, and administrators can have continued access to technology; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 784, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 784, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

____________________________

DWIGHT TAKAMINE, Chair