STAND. COM. REP. NO.  165

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1501

      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 Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1501 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase transparency, increase public participation, and provide the Public Utilities Commission (Commission) with resources to more effectively hold public utilities accountable to the public interest by:

     (1)  Providing certain post-employment restrictions on Commission employees and commissioners;

     (2)  Requiring public input on a proposed merger or consolidation of public utilities; and

     (3)  Requiring the Auditor to conduct a study that compares the salaries of employees at the Commission with employees of comparable positions in the private sector.

Life of the Land and numerous individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Public Utilities Commission testified in opposition to this measure.  The State Ethics Commission commented on this measure.   

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing the preamble and the post-employment restrictions on former commissioners and employees of the Public Utilities Commission; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2115, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1501, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1501, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committees on Consumer Protection & Commerce and Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair