STAND. COM. REP. NO. 147

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 863

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 863 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to improve the State's capabilities and capacity to conduct systematic analyses related to the State's energy systems, markets, and policies.

More specifically, this measure makes changes in the type and extent of information members of the petroleum industry submit to the State pursuant to chapter 486J, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and implements the gasoline price control program established by chapter 486H, Hawaii Revised Statutes, including:

(1) Providing informational costs reports;

(2) Developing an automated petroleum information reporting system;

(3) Creating a petroleum monitoring, analysis, and reporting special fund to be funded by a dedicated portion of fuel tax imposed by chapter 243, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(4) Making a number of amendments to the way information was reported to and gathered by the Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism;

(5) Making an appropriation from the general fund to initially fund the petroleum monitoring, analysis, and reporting special fund; and

(6) Making appropriations from the petroleum monitoring, analysis, and reporting special fund to fund:

(A) The implementation and operation of monitoring, analysis, and reporting system, pursuant to chapter 486J, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(B) The implementation and operation of the gasoline price control program, pursuant to chapter 486H, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(C) Continuing efforts of the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum to create a single integrated energy strategy for the State.

Upon hearing and considering testimony and further review, your Committee has amended this bill:

(1) By transferring the petroleum monitoring, analysis, and reporting special fund from the Department of Budget and Finance to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism for administrative purposes;

(2) By changing the source of the funding for the petroleum monitoring, analysis, and reporting special fund from a dedicated portion of the fuel tax to the environmental response revolving fund, established pursuant to section 128D-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(3) By amending section 128D-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to allow the legislature to appropriate funds from the environmental response revolving fund to the petroleum monitoring, analysis, and reporting special fund;

(4) By changing the names of the new program, reporting system, and special fund to the "petroleum industry monitoring, analysis, and reporting program", "petroleum industry monitoring, analysis, and reporting system", and the "petroleum industry monitoring, analysis, and reporting special fund", respectively; and

(5) By making technical nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 863, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 863, 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 Energy & Environmental Protection,

 

____________________________

HERMINA MORITA, Chair