STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1259-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   S.B. No. 2859

      S.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, to which was referred S.B. No. 2859, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to increase from $1,000,000 to an unspecified sum the maximum balance that may be retained in the Public Utilities Commission special fund at the end of each fiscal year.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Public Utilities Commission and Blue Planet Foundation.

 

     Your Committee finds that pursuant to a statutory requirement established over twenty years ago, all moneys in excess of $1,000,000 remaining on balance in the Public Utilities Commission special fund lapse to the general fund on June 30 of each year.  Your Committee recognizes that in modern times, the complexity and size of the Commission's workload has dramatically increased.  Your Committee believes that because of new statutory mandates, evolving technologies, new utility business models, and other important Commission matters, the $1,000,000 maximum balance is insufficient to help the Commission meet its ongoing financial obligations.  Your Committee recognizes the testimony of the Public Utilities Commission, which stated in part that the Commission's financial obligations due in July 2015 were $2,118,085.

 

     Your Committee requests that if the Committee on Finance should hear this measure, the sum of $3,000,000 be inserted as the new maximum balance that may be retained in the special fund at the end of each fiscal year.

 

     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 S.B. No. 2859, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair