Bill Text: HI HR58 | 2023 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Requesting The Hawaii Broadband And Digital Equity Office To Increase Access To Wi-fi In Public Parks Throughout The State.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-03-30 - Resolution adopted in final form. [HR58 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2023-HR58-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
58 |
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THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE HAWAII BROADBAND AND DIGITAL EQUITY OFFICE TO INCREASE ACCESS TO WI-FI IN PUBLIC PARKS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
WHEREAS, access to the Internet is essential for life in the twenty-first century, which is increasingly reliant on digital technology; and
WHEREAS, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic highlighted the importance of digital connectivity, as people were forced to depend on the Internet to connect with basic educational, occupational, and health care services; and
WHEREAS, as the State exits the pandemic, many businesses and government organizations are continuing to expand options for accessing services remotely to increase efficiency and improve public health; and
WHEREAS, rural and neighbor island communities often lack the same basic infrastructure that urban residents enjoy, making the development of systems for remotely accessing public services an urgent matter of social and economic equity; and
WHEREAS, while federal programs have been offered to assist low-income families in paying for broadband technology, many working families remain unable to afford the increasing monthly cost of internet service because of Hawaii's high cost of living; and
WHEREAS, numerous cities have begun installing Wi-Fi in public parks to support internet access for underserved communities, including the cities of Los Angeles, California, and Indianapolis, Indiana; and
WHEREAS, in 2016, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs designated the location of one hundred new Spectrum Wi-Fi hotspots at public parks, civic and community centers, and other gathering places as part of a court order approving the transfer of Oceanic Time Warner Cable to Charter Communications; and
WHEREAS, the State has identified strengthening digital equity as a strategic imperative in the development of a modern economy for local residents and future generations; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2023, that the Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office is requested to increase access to Wi-Fi in public parks throughout the State; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office is requested to work with the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the counties to assess the current level of internet access in public parks; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Broadband Coordinator, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, and Mayors of the Counties of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai.
Broadband and Digital Equity Office; Wi-Fi; Public Parks
