STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1569

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1329

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1329, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to support the development of prototypes from proofs of concept that are created during various application challenges.

 

Specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Requires the High Technology Development Corporation to issue grants to help convert proofs of concept created during the 2017 and 2018 Hawaii Annual Code Challenges, AT&T Hackathons, Reboot the Commute, or other application challenges into prototypes;

 

(2)  Requires the High Technology Development Corporation to obtain donations of not less than fifty percent of the moneys expended on a project-by-project basis; and

 

(3)  Appropriates funds for the grants and to support related activities.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of Enterprise Technology Services, High Technology Development Corporation, Civil Beat Law Center for the Public Interest, Hawaii Open Data, Transform Hawaii Government, and fourteen individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that one of the goals of hackathons is to begin a process that ultimately leads to the creation of innovative solutions to problems.  However, in part due to their short durations, hackathons usually only produce proofs of concept for applications.  Your Committee further finds that an appropriation will help to progress those proofs of concept into prototypes and commercial products and provide a means for participants to create startup businesses for their applications.

 

     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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1329, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair