THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

550

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that members of the public utilities commission who reside on the neighbor islands are not provided any reimbursement for travel expenses, such as board, lodging, and incidental expenses.  For commissioners who are not residents of the city and county of Honolulu, these expenses can be significant, as frequent travel to Oahu is necessary to serve on the public utilities commission.  By permitting an allowance for neighbor island commissioners, the State may be able to attract qualified candidates from the neighbor islands, which may help diversify future representation on the public utilities commission.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to allow members who are residents of a county other than the city and county of Honolulu to receive an allowance of $225 per day for expenses related to board, lodging, and incidental expenses, and reimbursement for their actual air travel expenses incurred in carrying out their duties.

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

     "(b)  Effective July 1, 2005, the chairperson of the commission shall be paid a salary set at eighty-seven per cent of the salary of the director of human resources development, 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 87A.  A member who is a resident of a county other than the city and county of Honolulu shall receive, in addition to reimbursement for their actual air travel expenses incurred in carrying out their duties, an allowance of $225 per day to cover personal expenses such as board, lodging, and incidental expenses."

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  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.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

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2019.


 


 

Report Title:

Public Utilities Commission; Commissioners; Travel; Expenses

 

Description:

Allows public utilities commission members who are residents of a county other than the city and county of Honolulu to receive an allowance of $225 per day for expenses related to board, lodging, and incidental expenses, in addition to actual air travel expenses incurred in carrying out the members' duties.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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