STAND. COM. REP. NO.  543

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.B. No. 972

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 972 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO GASOLINE DEALERS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to require the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to impose a civil penalty against gasoline dealers who violate the law pertaining to manufacturers or jobbers.  This measure also requires the Attorney General to institute a civil action for civil penalties not paid in the time period specified by the PUC.

     Legislative Information Services of Hawaii and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill.  The PUC opposed this measure.

     Your Committees have amended this bill by changing its effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 972, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 972, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary,

____________________________ GILBERT KEITH-AGARAN, Chair

____________________________ ROBERT N. HERKES, Chair