STAND. COM. REP. NO. 553

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1161

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1161, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate telecommunications and information development by exempting broadband infrastructure improvements from state and county permitting requirements for five years and exempting replacements of existing utility poles related to installation or improvement of telecommunications cables from state and county permitting requirements.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the University of Hawaii System, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and Hawaiian Telcom.  Your Committee received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Department of Transportation; Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc.; and tw telcom.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Environmental Quality Control, Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu, and a member of the Maui County Council.

 

     Your Committee finds that the issues raised in testimony presented on this measure by public and private stakeholders demonstrate the need for continued collaboration among all interested parties to ensure that progress in making broadband information services accessible to all residents of this State.  Your Committee further finds that deploying and improving broadband infrastructure is critical to enabling the State to diversify its economy, attract new businesses, and create twenty‑first century jobs for residents in all parts of the State.  Your Committee encourages all relevant state, local, and private agencies to put aside narrow jurisdictional concerns and to work collaboratively to move broadband deployment forward.

 

     Your Committee notes that Act 199, Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, created and funded a work group to develop policies and procedures for streamlining permitting processes to enable the efficient deployment of broadband infrastructure.  Your Committee further notes that although the previous Governor declined to release monies appropriated from the Compliance Resolution Fund to fund the activities of the work group, that funding source remains available and accessible to the Cable Television Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.  Your Committee encourages the Administrator of the Cable Television Division to use the funds appropriated by Act 199, Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, to convene the stakeholders on this issue and to work expeditiously toward resolving outstanding issues and concerns.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1161, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

 

 

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair