STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2661

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2200
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B.
No. 2200 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES
COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to increase the amount of
resources available to the Public Utilities Commission.

     In particular, this bill limits the amount of moneys in the
Public Utilities Commission special fund that lapse into the
state general fund at the end of each fiscal year by providing
that the greater of $1,000,000, or two-thirds of the moneys in
the special fund, shall remain in the special fund, with the
excess lapsing into the general fund.

     Your Committee finds that the Public Utilities Commission
plays a critical role in representing the interests of the public
in enforcing compliance with state laws and carrying out its
responsibility of general supervision of the State's public
utilities, including regulation and oversight over the activities
of providers of electricity, telecommunications, telephone, gas,
private water, and sewer services, as well as its providers of
water and motor carrier services.


 
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     Your Committee agrees with the intent of this bill, and
finds that it will provide the commission with the additional
resources, including retention of qualified staff to monitor
compliance by the regulated industries, that are needed to clear
the commission's dockets in a timely manner and thereby
effectively represent, protect, and further the interests of the
people of Hawaii.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring the commission's annual report to the
          Legislature to include an account of how the additional
          resources allocated to the commission by this bill have
          been spent over the previous year; and

     (2)  Adding a "drop dead" provision to specify that the
          amendments made to the Public Utilities Commission
          special fund in section 260-33, Hawaii Revised
          Statutes, are to be repealed on July 1, 2005.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
2200, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third
Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2200, S.D. 1.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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