Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1705 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide more flexibility in the administration of the wholesale gasoline law by allowing the Governor to:

if the Governor determines that such actions are beneficial to the economic well-being, health, and safety of the people of Hawaii, publishes statewide notice of the action, and provides a report to the Legislature for any fiscal year during which the price cap was not operable for more than 180 days.

A concerned individual provided testimony in support of this bill. The Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism offered comments.

Your Committee finds that under the current law, the wholesale gasoline price cap is set to become effective September 1, 2005. However, a concern has been raised that the Public Utilities Commission may not be able to approve the rules necessary to implement the law in time to meet this deadline. Your Committee believes that this bill will give the Executive Branch the flexibility to adjust the start date of this law to ensure that before the law is implemented, the necessary rules are in place.

To encourage more discussion of this bill, your Committee has changed its effective date to July 1, 2099. Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1705, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1705, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.