STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2709

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2806

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2806, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS ON THE INTERNET,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve citizen involvement in the legislative process by enhancing the existing public access to legislative sessions and committee hearings.

Specifically, the measure appropriates $42,000 for an archived and indexed video stream and two archived and indexed audio streams of legislative proceedings over the Internet. The legislative proceedings would include broadcasts from the chambers and conference rooms of the House of Representatives and the Senate and from the capitol auditorium.

Your Committee believes that audio and video streams of the daily legislative sessions and committee hearings would contribute to a public that is more informed about state government.

Your Committee has amended the bill by:

(1) Clarifying that the expending agencies are the Senate and House of Representatives;

(2) Providing separate appropriations for each chamber;

(3) Changing the amount appropriated to an unspecified amount to promote continuing discussion on the matter; and

(4) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for the purpose of clarity and style.

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 S.B. No. 2806, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2806, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair