STAND. COM. REP. NO.1567

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.C.R. No. 144

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 144, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION requesting the formation of a wireless enhanced 911 interim working group,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a wireless enhanced 911 interim working group.

Specifically, this measure requests the formation of a working group comprised of members from various government agencies and wireless providers to:

(1) Study the funding needed to support new wireless identification and location services consistent with the rules of the Federal Communications Commission for the transmission of 911 calls from wireless carriers to enhanced 911 emergency systems; and

(2) Recommend a surcharge to be imposed on wireless subscribers to enable the counties to provide enhanced 911 services and the carriers to recover their costs.

This measure also requests the Legislative Reference Bureau to submit a report of the working group's findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2004.

Your Committee finds that sustained funding for wireless enhanced 911 services is essential to public safety and in the public interest. This measure will encourage representative stakeholders to work together to propose ongoing funding to provide continued support for these services throughout the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to provide assistance to the working group in drafting proposed legislation.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 144, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 144, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair