Hawaii’s Gov. David Ige has spoken about the critical importance of broadband expansion across the state; however, only two bills seeking to improve coverage remain alive in the state legislature. The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported that all other proposed bills died during the current legislative session. The measures included:
- Statewide studies on residential broadband access.
- Establishing a Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office.
- Requiring schools that receive Title I education funds to have high-speed internet access.
One of the bills that survived, House Bill 1191, seeks to establish a grant program, covering 20 percent of costs, incentivizing infrastructure deployment in underserved areas of the state. The second bill, Senate Bill 246, is not focused on broadband. However, it was amended earlier this month to include language that would appropriate a nonspecific amount of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act for diverse broadband projects in underserved areas for the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
State Rep. Richard Onishi, a co-sponsor of HB 1191, said funding is an issue. “The fact of the matter is, we’ve got to fit into our current financial picture, and our current financial picture is very tight,” Onishi said, regarding the state’s approximately $1.4 billion budget deficit.
According to the Tribune-Herald, the bills are set for a committee hearing on Wednesday. If an agreement is not reached, the bills will likely die as the legislature adjourns on April 29.
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