STAND. COM. REP. NO.  535

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1372

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred H.B. No. 1372 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exclude any person who provides water solely to bona fide agricultural activities from the classification and regulation as a public utility.  

The Department of Agriculture supported this measure.  The Public Utilities Commission and Collaborative Leaders Network commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by adopting the proposed amendments of the Department of Agriculture, which clarify the definition of agricultural activities for purposes of this measure to require conformity of the activities with federal, state, and county requirements.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1372, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1372, H.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair