CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 86-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2016

RE:    S.B. No. 2645

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 2645, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WATER AUDITS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Commission on Water Resource Management to establish and implement a program to conduct standardized water audits of public water systems in accordance with the method adopted by the American Water Works Association's Water Audits and Loss Control Programs, Manual of Water Supply Practices - M36, as amended, and to appropriate funds for this purpose.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that the efficient use of the State's limited water resources is of paramount importance to the continued growth and security of the State.  Audits can provide valuable information to help utilities manage their operational and financial resources in a more effective manner.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting the purpose section of the S.D. 2 version;

     (2)  Deleting the appropriation of general funds;

     (3)  Authorizing $600,000 of other federal funds for fiscal year 2016-2017 to conduct standardized water audits of public water systems if private matching funds of $100,000 are provided;

     (4)  Appropriating $700,000 of the authorized revenues for fiscal year 2016-2017 to establish and implement the program to conduct standardized water audits of public water systems;

     (5)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2016; and

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2645, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2645, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Co-Chair	____________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair
____________________________ TY J.K. CULLEN, Co-Chair	____________________________ J. KALANI ENGLISH, Co-Chair