STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1833

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 990

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 3

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 20072007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 990, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PETROLEUM INDUSTRY MONITORING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to increase the transparency of petroleum industry pricing by:

     (1)  Requiring the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to refer to the Attorney General for prosecution, deceptive, false, or misleading statements, and unlawful profiteering discovered in connection with PUC's regulation under Chapter 486H, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), Gasoline Dealers, or Chapter 486J, HRS, the Petroleum Industry Information Reporting Act (Reporting Act);

     (2)  Requiring the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) to use the information obtained under the Reporting Act to support the DBEDT Director's role as the State Energy Resources Coordinator and conduct strategic and systematic energy planning and emergency preparedness activities; and

     (3)  Appropriating funds to allow PUC to hire staff and administer the Reporting Act and DBEDT to fulfill its analysis and planning responsibilities as State Energy Resources Coordinator under the Reporting Act.

     PUC supported this bill.  DBEDT supported the intent of this measure.  The Western States Petroleum Association submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2020, to allow further discussion; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, 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. 990, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 990, S.D. 2, H.D. 3.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair