STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1288

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1059

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1059, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ONE CALL CENTER,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to make the one call center pilot program permanent in order to provide excavators advance warning of any existing underground facilities.

The measure also exempts pest control operators from the program requirements for three years.

     Your Committee received two written comments on this measure.  The written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that the one call center's mandatory "Call Before You Dig" program provides excavators with a single phone number to call for locating and marking underground lines, including but not limited to lines for electric, gas, telecommunications, cable, water, and sewer facilities.

     Your Committee further finds the one call center program is effective in reducing damage to underground utility lines and facilities.  Your Committee believes that by making the one call center program permanent, the program will continue to prevent disruptions of service to customers, reduce the costs of damage to underground facilities, and enhance the safety of excavators.

     Your Committee also finds that pest control operators are required to participate in the program.  Pest control operators, however, do not dig to the extent that construction and excavation companies do when treating the ground for pests.  Allowing for a temporary exemption for pest control operators will serve as an appropriate test period to see whether a permanent exemption is appropriate.

     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 H.B. No. 1059, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair