REPORT TITLE:
PUC Special Fund


DESCRIPTION:
Provides that the greater of $1,000,000, or two-thirds of the
moneys in the public utilities commission special fund, shall
remain in the special fund, with the excess lapsing into the
general fund.  Requires the commission to report annually to the
legislature on certain fund activities.  (SB2200 SD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  In carrying out its overall responsibility of
 
 2 general supervision of the State's public utilities, the public
 
 3 utilities commission plays an important role in representing the
 
 4 interests of the people of Hawaii.  The commission oversees the
 
 5 activities of a number of important state businesses, including
 
 6 the State's providers of electricity, telecommunications,
 
 7 telephone, gas, private water, and sewer services, as well as its
 
 8 providers of water and motor carrier services.  The commission is
 
 9 charged with regulating these businesses with an eye toward
 
10 enforcing compliance with state laws and protecting and
 
11 furthering the interests of the public.  To achieve its goal, the
 
12 commission must not only establish policies and standards and
 
13 render these enforceable through the adoption of administrative
 
14 rules, but must also actively open and pursue dockets in which
 
15 the interests of the public are furthered and commission
 
16 regulations enforced through the investigation of consumer
 
17 complaints, as well as the examination and oversight of the
 
18 rates, proposed capital expenditures, mergers, and acquisitions,
 
19 and other business activities of regulated utilities.
 

 
Page 2                                                     2200
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        


 1      The legislature finds that if the public utilities
 
 2 commission does not have adequate resources to clear its dockets
 
 3 in a timely manner, the commission cannot effectively represent,
 
 4 protect, and further the interests of the public.  This Act will
 
 5 provide the commission with the additional resources needed to
 
 6 clear its dockets in a timely manner, by mandating that no more
 
 7 than one-third of the moneys left in the public utilities
 
 8 commission special fund shall lapse to the credit of the general
 
 9 fund on June 30 of each year.  In addition, this Act requires the
 
10 commission to report back to the legislature before the start of
 
11 each regular session as to the commission's expenditures relating
 
12 to these additional resources.
 
13      SECTION 2.  Section 269-33, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
14 amended by amending subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:
 
15      "(c)  The public utilities commission shall submit a report
 
16 to the legislature detailing all funds received and all moneys
 
17 disbursed out of the fund prior to the convening of each regular
 
18 session[.]; provided that the commission's report shall specify
 
19 the use of the commission's expenditures that are attributable to
 
20 additional funding resources made available by legislation
 
21 reducing the amounts in the fund that are subject to lapsing
 
22 under subsection (d), and the results achieved with the
 
23 additional funding.
 

 
Page 3                                                     2200
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        


 1      (d)  All moneys in excess of the greater of:
 
 2           (1)  $1,000,000; or
 
 3           (2)  Two-thirds of the moneys remaining on balance in
 
 4                the public utilities commission special fund,
 
 5 on June 30 of each year shall lapse to the credit of the state
 
 6 general fund."
 
 7      SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
 8 New statutory material is underscored.
 
 9      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval;
 
10 provided that on July 1, 2005, section 2 of this Act shall be
 
11 repealed, and section 269-33(c) and (d), Hawaii Revised Statutes,
 
12 is reenacted in the form in which it read on the day before the
 
13 approval of this Act.