STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Honolulu, Hawaii
5^^
APR 0 3 2024
RE: S'. R. No. 156
S. D. 1
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2024
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and
Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which
was referred S.R. No. 156 entitled:
"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION TO
HONOR AND COMPLY WITH ITS STATUTORY DUTY TO INVESTIGATE THE
CAUSES OF THE AUGUST 2023 MAUI WILDFIRES AS REQUIRED BY
SECTION 269-9, HAWAII REVISED STATUTES,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the Public
Utilities Commission to honor and comply with its statutory duty
to investigate the causes of the August 2023 Maui wildfires as
required by section 269-9, Hawaii Revised Statutes.
Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure
from Life of the Land.
Your Committees received comments on this measure from the
Division of Consumer Advocacy of the Department of Commerce and
Consumer Affairs and Public Utilities Commission.
Your Committees find that section 269-9, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, provides, in relevant part, that the Public Utilities
Commission shall "investigate the causes of any accident which
results in loss of life, and may investigate any other accidents
which in its opinion require investigation". The August 2023 Maui
2024-2318 SR SSCR SMA.docx
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 STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Page 2
wildfires, which appears to have been initially started by a
downed utility pole owned by a Maui electric utility company,
resulted in the tragic loss of life of over one hundred people.
Your Committees further find that the likely cause of the August
2023 Maui wildfires is well within the Public Utilities
Commission's established jurisdiction, resulted in the loss of
life, and would reasonably qualify as an accident that would
require investigation pursuant to the Public Utilities
Commission's discretionary authority. Therefore, this measure
urges the Public Utilities Commission to carry out its mandate and
conduct an investigation of the August 2023 Maui wildfires.
Further, this measure urges the Public Utilities Commission to be
more proactive in exercising its administrative authority over
electric utilities, to take steps to mitigate future wildfires,
and ensure a more resilient and reliable electric grid for the
people of the State.
Your Committees have amended this measure by:
(1) Inserting language urging the Public Utilities
Commission to formally open a docket, in accordance with
section 269-9, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to investigate
the causes of the August 2023 Maui wildfires;
(2) Inserting language urging the Public Utilities
Commission to request from the County of Maui an
unredacted version of the investigative findings of the
United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
and Explosives (ATF) National Response Team and Honolulu
Field Office that were, or will be, provided to the Maui
Fire Department for inclusion in the Maui Fire
Department's origin and cause report for the August 2023
Maui wildfires; and
(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the
purposes of clarity and consistency.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your
Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Public Safety
and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to
this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of
S.R. No. 156, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the
form attached hereto as S.R. No. 156, S.D. 1.
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 STAND. COM. REP. NO.
Respectfully submitted on
behalf of the members of the
Committees on Commerce and
Consumer Protection and Public
Safety and Intergovernmental
and Military Affairs,
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 The Senate
Thirty-Second Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection
CPN
Bill / Resolution No.:* Committee Referral: Date:
CPN/FSM
__ The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to:________________________________________________
The Recommendation is:
__ Pass, unamended Pass, with amendments __ Hold __ Recommit
2312 2311 2310 2313
Members Aye Aye (WR) Nay Excused
KEOHOKALOLE, Jarrett (C) (z
FUKUNAGA, Carol (VC)
MCKELVEY, Angus L.K.
RICHARDS, III, Herbert M. “Tim”
AWA, Brenton
TOTAL 3
Recommendation: i—iX
Adopted __ Not Adopted
Chair’s or Designee’s Signature:
Distribution; Original Yellow Pink Goldenrod
File with Committee Report Clerk's Office Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Only one measure per Record of Votes
Revised. 12/27/23
 The Senate
Thirty-Second Legislature
State of Hawaii
Record of Votes
Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs
PSM
Bill / Resolution No.;* Committee Referral: Date: .
__ The Committee is reconsidering its previous decision on this measure.
If so, then the previous decision was to:________________________________________________
The Recommendation is:
__ Pass, unamended v*^ass, with amendments __ Hold Recommit
2312 2311____________________ 2310 2313
Members Ay® z Aye (WR) Nay Excused
WAKAI, Glenn (C)
ELEFANTE, Brandon J.C. (VC)
FUKUNAGA, Carol
RHOADS. Karl
AWA, Brenton
-/
TOTAL . /i/ /
Recommendation: i—iX \ ( '
vf Adopted ' __ Not Adopted
Chair’s or Designee’s Signature^^z—
Distribution: Original ( | yellow Pink Goldenrod
File with Committee Report \ Clerk's 0ffice Drafting Agency Committee File Copy
*Only one measupe per Record of Votes
Revised: 01/09/24