HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

40

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

requesting the high technology development corporation to study the scope and adequacy of the State's videoconferencing capability and the feasibility of providing additional videoconferencing capability and interactive multimedia methods for public hearings and public agency meetings.

 

 

WHEREAS, Hawaii is an island state in which the island of Oahu is the most populous and serves as the hub of many governmental operations; and

WHEREAS, important statewide issues affect residents of all islands, and residents of the Neighbor Islands must not be penalized for the remoteness of their homes in relation to public activities, including the holding of public hearings, that take place on Oahu; and

WHEREAS, the Information and Communication Services Division of the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS), the lead agency for information technology in the Executive Branch, is responsible for comprehensively managing the information processing and telecommunications systems for all agencies in the State, and administers and operates the State's videoconferencing activities; and

WHEREAS, technology has advanced tremendously in recent years so that videoconferencing has become an acceptable and convenient tool for bringing people from various geographic locations together in live exchanges; and

WHEREAS, four videoconferencing centers are maintained on Oahu, and one videoconferencing center each is also maintained on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai; and

WHEREAS, many public hearings and public agency meetings (including board meetings) on statewide matters are held on the island of Oahu, ordinarily requiring residents from the Neighbor Islands to expend the effort and expense of traveling to Oahu to testify or to attend; and

WHEREAS, as the world of communication expands, it is important to keep up with feasible technologies and not limit access to only one technology, such as videoconferencing; and

WHEREAS, public hearings and public agency meetings may be more accessible to residents of the Neighbor Islands by means of other interactive multimedia methods; and

WHEREAS, it is uncertain whether the existing technology and facilities for videoconferencing administered by the State are adequate to cater to the needs of the Neighbor Islands; and

WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the people of the State to determine the scope and adequacy of the State's videoconferencing capability and feasibility of using other interactive multimedia methods to better serve all the citizens of the State; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, that the High Technology Development Corporation is requested to study and report on:

(1) The scope and adequacy of the State's videoconferencing capability;

(2) The feasibility of providing additional videoconferencing capability to enable residents of the Neighbor Islands to testify at public hearings scheduled on Oahu;

(3) The feasibility and impacts, if any of including public agency meetings as an additional user; and

(4) The costs and technology for providing videoconferencing and other interactive multimedia methods for Neighbor Island residents;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Directors of the High Technology Development Corporation is requested to submit its findings and recommendations, including any necessary proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2003; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the High Technology Development Corporation, the Comptroller, and the Division Head of the Information and Communication Services Division of DAGS.

Report Title:

Video-Conferencing; Interactive Multimedia; High Technology Development Corp.; Study