§440G-11.5 Other duties of the director; broadband services. (a) In conjunction with broadband services, the director shall:

(1) Promote and encourage use of telework alternatives for public and private employees, including appropriate policy and legislative initiatives;

(2) Advise and assist state agencies, and upon request of the counties, advise and assist the counties, in planning, developing, and administering programs, projects, plans, policies, and other activities to promote telecommuting by employees of state and county agencies;

(3) Support the efforts of both public and private entities in Hawaii to enhance or facilitate the deployment of, and access to, competitively priced, advanced electronic communications services, including broadband and its products and services and internet access services of general application throughout Hawaii;

(4) Make recommendations to establish affordable, accessible broadband services to unserved and underserved areas of Hawaii and monitor advancements in communications that will facilitate this goal;

(5) Advocate for, and facilitate the development and deployment of, expanded broadband applications, programs, and services, including telework, telehealth, and e-learning, that will bolster the usage of and demand for broadband level telecommunications;

(6) Serve as a broadband information and applications clearinghouse for the State and a coordination point for federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 broadband-related services and programs; and

(7) Promote, advocate, and facilitate the implementation of the findings and recommendations of the Hawaii broadband task force established by Act 2, First Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2007.

[(b)] The director shall submit an annual report to the legislature, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session, on the department's efforts to use broadband and its products and services to develop and expand telework initiatives, including telework participation levels and trends of both private and public sector employees in Hawaii.

[(c)] The department of commerce and consumer affairs shall report annually to the legislature, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session, on the receipt and expenditure of federal moneys from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and moneys from other federal appropriation measures or applicable federal acts, for the purposes of purchasing broadband facilities, services, or equipment or for entering into contracts for broadband-related projects by all state agencies for all state agencies approval.

[(d)] Pursuant to [section] 440G-12(d), the director may appoint and employ engineers, accountants, attorneys, and professional, clerical, stenographic, or other assistants, as required, with or without regard to chapter 76. [L 2010, c 199, §§2, 5; am L 2014, c 159, §6]

Note

The following Notes supersede the Notes at this section on page 127 of the main volume:

Telework promotion; broadband assistance advisory council; establishment; purpose. L 2010, c 199, §3; L 2011, c 151, §5; L 2016, c 23, §2.

Installation or development relating to broadband service or broadband technology infrastructure; exemption from certain permitting requirements (beginning January 1, 2012); use of utility poles to install new telecommunications cables, upgrade or replacement not required. L 2011, c 151, §2; L 2013, c 264, §3 (applicable to permit applications filed after December 31, 2013); L 2016, c 193.

Revision Note

Subsection (c) is codified to this section pursuant to §23G-15.