STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1382-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: S.B. No. 2808
                                     H.D. 2




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No.
2808, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CONSUMER ADVOCATE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to:

     (1)  Enable the Division of Consumer Advocacy (Division) to
          develop the institutional knowledge and an
          understanding of the underlying theories of utility
          regulation by authorizing the Division to retain its
          own legal counsel; and

     (2)  Repeal the authority of the Hawaiian Home Lands Trust
          Individual Claims Review Panel (Review Panel) to hire
          and retain legal counsel.

     The Public Utilities Commission, GTE, Kauai Electric, and
the Gas Company testified in support of authorizing the Division
to retain legal counsel.  Hawaiian Electric Company and its
subsidiaries testified in support of the intent of authorizing
the Division to retain legal counsel.  The Consumer Advocate
submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Allowing the Review Panel to continue to hire and
          retain legal counsel, as repealing the Review Panel's
          authority would not be encompassed under the title of
          the bill;

 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1382-00
                                 Page 2

 

     (2)  Appropriating $137,089 to hire two staff attorneys for
          the Division;

     (3)  Providing that the appropriation provision takes effect
          on July 1, 2000; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No.
2808, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2808, H.D.
2.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Finance,



                                   ______________________________
                                   DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair