STAND. COM. REP. NO.  35

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1069

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Economic Development & Business, to which was referred H.B. No. 1069 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TECHNOLOGY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to move Hawaii towards a more diversified economy and assist small businesses conducting innovative research with their efforts toward commercialization by, among other things:

 

     (1)  Adding the receipt of Phase II or III Small Business Innovation Research awards or contracts from any participating federal agency to the qualifying criteria for businesses to receive grants from the High Technology Development Corporation; and

 

     (2)  Appropriating $5,000,000 for the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to provide grants through the High Technology Development Corporation.

 

     The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Oceanit, and Ibis Networks testified in support of this measure.  The High Technology Development Corporation testified in support of the intent of this measure.

 


     Since 1989, the High Technology Development Corporation has been assisting Phase I Small Business Innovation Research awarded companies reach their commercial potential through the provision of grants.  This has proven to be successful for both the business awarded the grant and the State given that every dollar invested through this grant program has been leveraged to attract approximately $20 in federal funds as well as commercialization funding. Expanding the scope of the grant program will allow for more companies to achieve commercialization and increase the beneficial economic impacts of this program to the State.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Reinserting subsection (c) of section 206M-15, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relative to the adoption of administrative rules necessary for administering the matching grant program;

 

     (2)  Changing the amount appropriated to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to provide grants through the High Technology Development Corporation from $5,000,000 to an unspecified amount; and

 

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

 

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider $5,000,000 for the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to provide grants through the High Technology Development Corporation.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Business that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1069, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1069, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Business,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI, Chair