Report Title:

Public Utilities Commission; Public Hearings

 

Description:

Saves money by allowing the Public Utility Commission to provide hearing notices to only the island(s) affected by a public utility proposal for change in utility rates and ratemaking procedures.  Hearing notices will continue to be sent to those directly impacted by any proposed changes. (HB1060 HD1)

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1060

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO PUBLICATION OF HEARING NOTICES.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The State continuously examines ways to develop more efficient and cost-effective means of operation.  Developing a more streamlined, consistent, and cost-effective means of providing notice of public hearings would serve the public interest by improving efficiency and saving money. 

     The legislature finds that the requirement to publish notice statewide, even though the affected public may only reside on one or more islands, is an inefficient use of resources.  Where appropriate, by limiting the publication of hearing notices to the geographic areas where affected persons reside, publication costs may be dramatically reduced, while still ensuring that notices are directed to persons who may be affected by the proposed activity.  For example, if the proposed limitation on the scope of publication of notice had been incorporated into state law during fiscal year 2006-2007, the public utilities commission would have saved approximately $74,000, or forty-five per cent of its total advertising costs that year.

     The purpose of this Act is to clarify the type of notice required for public hearings held by the public utilities commission in its regulation of utility rates and ratemaking procedures. 

     SECTION 2.  Section 269-12, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:

     "(c)  Any public hearing held pursuant to section [269-16(c),] 269-16(b), shall be a noticed public hearing or hearings on the island or islands on which the utility [is situated.] provides utility services.  Notice of the hearing, with the purpose thereof and the date, time, and place at which it will open, shall be given not less than once in each of three weeks [statewide,] in the county or counties in which the utility provides utility service, the first notice being not less than twenty-one days before the public hearing and the last notice being not more than two days before the scheduled hearing.  The applicant or applicants shall notify their consumers or patrons of the proposed change in rates and of the time and place of the public hearing not less than one week before the date set, the manner and the fact of notification to be reported to the commission before the date of hearing."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.