Bill Text: HI SR6 | 2022 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Urging The Hawaii Broadband And Digital Equity Office To Prioritize Access To Broadband Services In Rural Areas Throughout The State.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 14-0)

Status: (Passed) 2022-06-06 - Certified copies of resolutions sent, 06/06/22. [SR6 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2022-SR6-Amended.html

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THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	6
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THE HAWAII BROADBAND AND DIGITAL EQUITY OFFICE TO PRIORITIZE ACCESS TO BROADBAND SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

 

 

     WHEREAS, the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlights the significant need for access to broadband services in rural areas throughout the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, pursuant to section 206S-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, digital equity means "a condition in which all individuals and communities have the information technology capacity needed for full participation in society, democracy, and the economy"; and

 

     WHEREAS, access to broadband services has meant the difference between an employee's ability to work remotely or potentially face unemployment; and

 

     WHEREAS, access to broadband services is necessary for health care professionals to provide telehealth services to those in rural areas who would otherwise be unable to receive proper medical care; and

 

     WHEREAS, the lack of access to broadband services hampers the ability of the State to deliver consistent and meaningful distance learning for all students; and

 

     WHEREAS, reliable broadband access is also necessary for residents seeking to access social services such as unemployment claims, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, vital records, and other critical government services; and

 

     WHEREAS, reliable broadband access affects such simple but important services as registering for COVID-19 vaccinations and testing; and

 

     WHEREAS, reliable access to high-speed broadband services is essential for all individuals and communities in Hawaii to fully participate in society, democracy, and the economy; and

 

     WHEREAS, additional investment must be made to ensure digital equity in the State by increasing access to broadband services especially for those in rural communities that lack adequate broadband infrastructure; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, that the Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office is urged to prioritize access to broadband services in rural areas throughout the State; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and State Broadband Coordinator.

Report Title: 

Hawaii Broadband and Digital Equity Office; Broadband Access; Rural Areas; Priority