STAND. COM. REP. NO. 935

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1424

      

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1424 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER ADVOCACY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to provide emergency appropriations for the Division of Consumer Advocacy, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, to investigate the power outages that occurred on October 15, 2006, on the islands of Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii.

 

     The Department of Consumer Affairs and the Public Utilities Commission submitted comments in support of this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Division of Consumer Advocacy's budget for fiscal year 2006-2007 was premised on the costs of consultant fees and representing the public in utility rate cases before the Public Utilities Commission.  The investigation of the island-wide power outage was unexpected and beyond the Division's current budget and therefore requires this emergency appropriation.

 

Your Committee notes that the intent of this bill is to appropriate $250,000 for the purpose of this measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1424, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair