STAND. COM. REP. NO. 520

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 990

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 990 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A NON-EMERGENCY REPORT SYSTEM, KNOWN AS 3-1-1,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to develop a non-emergency 3-1-1 report system. This bill also appropriates funds for the development of this system.

The Honolulu Police Department, American Heart Association, and Verizon Hawaii testified in support of this bill. T-Mobile USA, Inc., opposed this measure. Cingular Wireless submitted comments.

Your Committee finds that Honolulu's 9-1-1 emergency system is overtaxed by non-emergency calls. It is estimated that between 65 and 75 percent of the calls received by the 9-1-1 call center are for non-emergency services. This bill would allow redirection of 9-1-1 non-emergency calls to a non-emergency 3-1-1 call center, thus alleviating unnecessary calls to the 9-1-1 call center and allowing staff and equipment to respond to actual emergencies.

 

After careful consideration, your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Inserting language limiting the liability, under specific circumstances, of the wireless provider, reseller, or their respective employees, directors, officers, assigns, affiliates, or agents with respect to the provision of a 3-1-1 service; 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 Public Safety & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 990, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading, in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 990, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs,

 

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair