STAND. COM. REP. NO. 207

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1066

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Energy and Environment and Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.B. No. 1066 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE NATURAL ENERGY LABORATORY OF HAWAII AUTHORITY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to move the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) to the Department of Budget and Finance for administrative purposes, increase the number of directors for the NELHA from eleven to thirteen, modify the appointment process for directors, and remove the requirement that the chairperson and secretary of the Research Advisory Committee serve as directors.

     Comments on this measure were submitted by one state department.  Testimony in opposition was submitted one state department and one private organization.  Copies of written testimony are available for review on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committees find that there are compelling reasons to retain NELHA under its current arrangement with the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.  Further, your Committees find that it may not be in the best interests of NELHA to revamp the board of directors by excluding certain current represented interests.  However, your Committees also find that NELHA tenants should be represented on the board.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Retaining NELHA within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism for administrative purposes; and

     (2)  Retaining the existing structure, composition, and method of selection of the board of directors, with the addition of two tenant representatives to be elected by NELHA tenants.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Energy and Environment and Economic Development and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1066, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1066, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Energy and Environment and Economic Development and Technology,

____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair

____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair