STAND. COM. REP. NO.  148

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1282

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Economic Development & Business, to which was referred H.B. No. 1282 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to stimulate economic growth and continue to develop the State's emerging aerospace sector by appropriating funds, with matching fund requirements, to support a joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems engineering assessment and study of the proposal to establish a laser optical communications ground station in Hawaii.

 

     The Council Member representing Council District 3 on the Hawaii County Council, Big Kahuna Meteorites, Hawaiian Telcom, and the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; and Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs supported the intent of this bill.  A concerned individual provided comments.

 

     Aerospace technology research and development is a rapidly growing industry that has much potential.  Technological developments in the aerospace industry may also have widespread applications on earth.

 

     Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration embarked on the development of innovative and advanced technologies to support laser communications between spacecraft and earth.  This has been necessitated by the ever-increasing data rate requirements from more sophisticated instruments on spacecraft; these rate requirements are at frequencies that currently cannot be met. 

 

     In a detailed statistical analysis of weather patterns conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, it was determined that Hawaii would be the best location for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's first operational laser communications station in a planned global network of laser communication ground stations.  This initiative would not only impact spacecraft communications, but also provide opportunities for improvements in Hawaii's broadband and fiber optic infrastructure.  This would have a positive effect on the State's economic future.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to February 19, 2025, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development & Business that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1282, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1282, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development & Business,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

DEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI, Chair