Bill Text: HI HB1998 | 2014 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Cable Television Systems; Public, Educational, and Governmental Access Channels; DCCA
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-04 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Yamane excused (1). [HB1998 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2014-HB1998-Amended.html
|
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1998 |
|
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2014 |
H.D. 1 |
|
|
STATE OF HAWAII |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO CABLE TELEVISION SYSTEMS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that public, educational, and governmental access channels serve a vital function in the State by enhancing communications capacities for local communities and government. The legislature further finds that the ability of public, educational, and governmental access channels to perform these services depends on the cable franchise holder providing equipment and maintenance that will deliver content on the public, educational, and governmental access channels that is equal in signal quality to that of local broadcast channels.
The purpose of this Act is to require the director of commerce and consumer affairs, upon granting an application to receive or renew a cable franchise, to order the applicant to provide equipment and maintenance sufficient to ensure that cable subscribers in the franchise area are able to receive public, educational, and governmental signals equivalent in quality to local full-power broadcast signals carried on the cable system.
SECTION 2. Chapter 440G, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§440G- Public, educational, and governmental access channels. Upon granting an application to receive or renew a cable franchise, the director shall order the applicant to provide equipment and maintenance sufficient to ensure that cable subscribers in the franchise area are able to receive public, educational, and governmental access signals equivalent in quality to local full-power broadcast signals carried on the cable system, including but not limited to delivery of a high definition signal to subscribers who have the capability of receiving high definition signals and simultaneous delivery of a standard definition signal, closed captioning, stereo, and multiple audio programming. If the director extends the time when an existing franchise would otherwise expire, the director shall require the franchise holder to satisfy these conditions prior to granting the extension."
SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2112.
Report Title:
Cable Television Systems; Public, Educational, and Governmental Access Channels; DCCA
Description:
Requires the director of commerce and consumer affairs to order cable franchise applicants to provide equipment and maintenance sufficient to ensure that cable subscribers in the franchise area are able to receive PEG access channels equivalent in quality to local full-power broadcast signals carried on the cable system. (HD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
