Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 3065 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to add one additional member from the water utility industry to the One Call Center Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee).

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Division of Consumer Advocacy, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; the Public Utilities Commission; the City and County of Honolulu Board of Water Supply; The Gas Company; and the Building Industry Association of Hawaii. No testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted to your Committee.

The purpose of the One Call Center is to provide advance warning of the location of subsurface installations to those planning to excavate in a certain area. This advance warning system protects utilities and other installations from damage by the planned excavation. The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to advise the Public Utilities Commission in the implementation of the One Call Center.

Your Committee finds that the addition of a representative from the water utility industry is necessary because water utilities, as a whole, operate more underground utilities than any other utility in the State.

The Division of Consumer Advocacy, the Public Utilities Commission, and The Gas Company, however, expressed concerns that a member from the wastewater industry should also be added to the Advisory Committee because of the importance of the wastewater industry and the need to maintain an odd number of members on the Advisory Committee in the event of a deadlock among members.

Your Committee finds that the addition of two members to the One Call Center Advisory Committee ensures that the Advisory Committee is effective and more representative of the stakeholders subject to the mandates of the One Call Center law. These two members will consist of one person from the water utility industry and one person from the wastewater industry.

Your Committee has amended this measure by adding two additional members to the One Call Center Advisory Committee, with one representative from the water utility industry and one representative from the wastewater industry.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3065, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3065, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.