Provides for greater allocation of the Public Utilities Commission special fund to Commission work by requiring that the greater of $1,000,000, or four-fifths of the moneys in the special fund, shall remain in the special fund, with the excess lapsing into the general fund.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

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

The legislature finds that if the public utilities commission does not have adequate resources to clear its dockets in a timely manner, the commission cannot effectively represent, protect, and further the interests of the public. This Act will provide the commission with the additional resources needed to clear its dockets in a timely manner, by mandating that no more than one-fifth of the moneys left in the public utilities commission special fund shall lapse to the credit of the general fund on June 30 of each year.

SECTION 2. Section 269-33, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:

"(d) All moneys in excess of the greater of:

shall on June 30 of each year [shall] lapse to the credit of the state general fund."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.