STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2537

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.B. No. 2808
                                        




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. 2808 entitled: 

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to authorize the Division of
Consumer Advocacy of the Department of Commerce and Consumer
Affairs (the Consumer Advocate) to retain its own legal counsel
and to appropriate funds for two staff attorney positions.

     Your Committee finds that the Division of Consumer Advocacy
is required to represent, protect, and advance the interests of
all consumers of utility services, which often includes
participating as a party in proceedings before the Public
Utilities Commission.  Because utility regulation cases involve
complex engineering, accounting, financial, and statistical
issues, the proceedings may not be resolved for a number of
years.

     Because of the high turnover rate of deputy attorney
generals assigned to represent the Division of Consumer Advocacy,
your Committee finds that consumers would benefit by allowing the
Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to retain its own
legal counsel, skilled in regulatory issues.


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2537
                                   Page 2


     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.
2808 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
a                                                     SB2808