STAND. COM. REP. NO. 502

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 887

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 887 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HIGH TECHNOLOGY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Establish the Offshore High Technology Park Review Board within the High Technology Development Corporation; and

 

     (2)  Authorize the issuance of special purpose revenue bonds to develop and implement cable landing sites throughout the State.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the High Technology Development Corporation, Enterprise Honolulu, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

 

     Your Committee finds that the development of an offshore high technology park is needed to promote research, education, and technological innovation.  The park is also necessary to strengthen state critical infrastructure and to develop a knowledge-based workforce capable of leading new opportunities in several different sectors of the economy.

 

     Your Committee further finds that the implementation of a trans-Pacific broadband cable provides the necessary broadband connectivity to support an offshore high technology park.  The State may facilitate the research and development opportunity for the deployment of a trans-Pacific cable through a partnership with multiple sectors in private industry that have a real interest in demonstrating the commercial applicability of new sensor technology and edge-processing analytics.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing references from "an offshore high technology park" to "high technology parks" throughout the measure;

 

     (2)  Establishing an Advisory Board of High Technology Parks Review for each high technology park established pursuant to this measure, in lieu of the Offshore High Technology Park Review Board, and amending the composition and appointment of members of the board;

 

     (3)  Adding language to require the Advisory Board to adopt development rules for each high technology park;

 

     (4)  Deleting the authorization for the issuance of special purpose revenue bonds to develop and implement cable landing sites; and

 

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 887, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 887, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development and Technology,

 

 

 

____________________________

GLENN WAKAI, Chair