STAND. COM. REP. NO 568

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1097

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred S.B. No. 1097 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CONSUMER ADVOCATE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to clarify that the Public Utilities Commission may order the Consumer Advocate, rather than the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, to appear in regulatory proceedings initiated by the Commission.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Division of Consumer Advocacy of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and Public Utilities Commission.

     Your Committee finds that Act 108, Session Laws of Hawaii 2014 (Act 108), expressly designated the Executive Director of the Division of Consumer Advocacy of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs as the Consumer Advocate.  Prior to Act 108, the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs had been statutorily designated as the Consumer Advocate.  Under Act 108, a number of updates were made to chapter 269, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to reflect this redesignation.  This measure amends section 269‑15(a), Hawaii Revised Statutes, to change the reference in this section from the Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to the Consumer Advocate, for consistency with changes made to chapter 269, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by Act 108.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1097 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair