Report Title:
PUC
Description:
Increases membership on the public utilities commission to five members. Requires four of the members to be appointed from lists of nominees submitted by the mayors of the counties.
THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2079 |
TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Chapter 269, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§269- Public utilities commission; number, appointment of commissioners, qualifications; compensation; persons having interest in public utilities. (a) There shall be a public utilities commission of five members, to be called commissioners, and who shall be appointed in the manner prescribed in section 26-34, except as otherwise provided in this section. One member shall be appointed by the governor. Of the remaining four members, one each shall be appointed from a list of nominees submitted by each of the mayors of the four counties. All members shall be appointed for terms of six years each, except that the terms of the members first appointed shall be as designated by the governor at the time of appointment to provide for staggered terms. The governor shall designate a member to be chairperson of the commission. Each member shall hold office until the member's successor is appointed and qualified; provided that the member's successor shall be appointed in the same manner as the member, as provided for in this section. Section 26-34 shall not apply insofar as it relates to the number of terms and consecutive number of years a member can serve on the commission; provided that no member shall serve more than twelve consecutive years.
In appointing commissioners, the governor shall select persons who have had experience in accounting, business, engineering, government, finance, law, or other similar fields. The commissioners shall devote full time to their duties as members of the commission and no commissioner shall hold any other public office or other employment during the commissioner's term of office. No person owning any stock or bonds of any public utility corporation or having any interest in, or deriving any remuneration from, any public utility shall be appointed a commissioner.
(b) The chairperson of the commission shall be paid a salary set by the governor within the range of $72,886 to $77,966 a year, and each of the other commissioners shall be paid a salary equal to ninety-five per cent of the chairperson's salary. The commissioners shall be exempt from chapters 76 and 89 but shall be members of the state employees retirement system and shall be eligible to receive the benefits of any state or federal employee benefit program generally applicable to officers and employees of the State, including those under chapter 87.
The commission is placed within the department of budget and finance for administrative purposes."
SECTION 2. Section 269-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.
["§269-2 Public utilities commission; number, appointment of commissioners, qualifications; compensation; persons having interest in public utilities. (a) There shall be a public utilities commission of three members, to be called commissioners, and who shall be appointed in the manner prescribed in section 26-34, except as otherwise provided in this section. All members shall be appointed for terms of six years each, except that the terms of the members first appointed shall be for two, four, and six years, respectively, as designated by the governor at the time of appointment. The governor shall designate a member to be chairperson of the commission. Each member shall hold office until the member's successor is appointed and qualified. Section 26-34 shall not apply insofar as it relates to the number of terms and consecutive number of years a member can serve on the commission; provided that no member shall serve more than twelve consecutive years.
In appointing commissioners, the governor shall select persons who have had experience in accounting, business, engineering, government, finance, law, or other similar fields. The commissioners shall devote full time to their duties as members of the commission and no commissioner shall hold any other public office or other employment during the commissioner's term of office. No person owning any stock or bonds of any public utility corporation, or having any interest in, or deriving any remuneration from, any public utility shall be appointed a commissioner.
(b) Effective January 1, 1989, and January 1, 1990, the chairperson of the commission shall be paid a salary set by the governor within the range of $69,748 to $74,608 and $72,886 to $77,966 a year, respectively, and each of the other commissioners shall be paid a salary equal to ninety-five per cent of the chairperson's salary. The commissioners shall be exempt from chapters 76 and 89 but shall be members of the state employees retirement system and shall be eligible to receive the benefits of any state or federal employee benefit program generally applicable to officers and employees of the State, including those under chapter 87.
The commission is placed within the department of budget and finance for administrative purposes."]
SECTION 3. Upon the effective date of the Act, all three members of the public utilities commission as the commission existed the day prior to the effective date of this Act shall continue to hold office until the member is replaced as provided for under this Act.
SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2004.
INTRODUCED BY: |
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