STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2658

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2810

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2810 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to give the Public Utilities Commission more flexibility in the use of funds collected from civil penalties imposed by the Commission in its administration of the State's One Call Center.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs.

     Your Committee finds that the One Call Center is a valuable service to utilities, ratepayers, and the excavating community in Hawaii.  The center helps to reduce the possibility of unintended damage to underground facilities, and thereby improving utility service reliability.  This measure will allow the Public Utilities Commission more flexibility, and discretionary use, of the collected penalties.

     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 S.B. No. 2810 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair