Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, serving as acting governor while Gov. Josh Green is out of state, on Monday signed two bills into law aimed at closing Hawaii’s digital divide by establishing a centralized state Broadband Office and expanding digital literacy services.

House Bill 934, now Act 201, officially establishes
Hawaii’s Broadband Office within the state Department of Accounting and General Services. The legislation empowers the office to lead broadband infrastructure development statewide, coordinate funding programs, and ensure high-speed internet access reaches underserved communities — from urban public housing to remote rural areas.

“With the signing of House Bill 934, Hawaii is taking a necessary step toward a future where every resident, regardless of geography, regardless of age or income, can connect to and use affordable, reliable broadband internet to access education, health care and economic opportunity,” Luke said during the bill-signing ceremony.

The new office will be responsible for administering federal and state broadband grants, overseeing deployment of internet infrastructure, and working with the public and private sectors on Hawaii’s connectivity goals, state officials said.

The legislation also funds six new “digital navigator” positions based at public libraries statewide, which officials say builds on the success of a 2023 pilot program. The digital navigators will help residents with using devices, connecting to the internet, and using online services, including telehealth appointments, job applications and government programs.

Luke said the state’s efforts are “about giving more internet options to that tutu in Pa‘uilo who cannot rely on her spotty internet connection for her health care … It’s about a job seeker in Hanapepe trying to fill out an online application but gets stuck because the website only accepts a specific file format. And it’s about an uncle in Waimanalo who just got a brand new tablet and wants to go online to do online banking, but doesn’t know where to start.”

According to state officials, the 2023 digital navigator pilot served residents at seven libraries. The state has opened a formal Request for Proposals for the Hawaii Community Digital Navigators Project, which would place trained navigators in all 51 public library branches. Proposals are
due by June 30 at 2 p.m.
and are available online at connectkakou.org.

State Librarian Stacey
Aldrich highlighted the program’s success, saying that residents were able to book one-on-one sessions with staff to learn or update essential digital skills. She said the pilot was highly effective and that the state is working to expand the program statewide.

“We know that in this digital age, we have to be invested in making sure everybody has connectivity — but also that they have the skills that they need to connect to the world around them. And so for public libraries across the state, we’re dedicated to helping our communities,” Aldrich said.

At Monday’s ceremony, state House Speaker Nadine Nakamura underscored how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed serious connectivity gaps in her own community on Kauai.

“Residents of Hawaii who were laid off from jobs and could not access unemployment insurance benefits, people who could not access other state and county benefits, and also for students who either did not have access to the internet or whose families could not afford the cost of that internet connection,” Nakamura said. “This bill is so important, because it helps to level the playing field. It helps to lift families up and have access to resources over the internet that we, many of us, take for granted.”

Luke also signed House Bill 1052 into Act 202, which ensures that critical public alerts — such as weather warnings, health advisories or emergency notifications — are accessible to all residents, including those with disabilities or low print
literacy.

The law mandates that state communications be designed to reach more people regardless of their ability to read or access traditional formats, strengthening inclusivity across government messaging systems.

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