STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2189

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2444

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2444 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require the Office of Elections to join the Electronic Registration Information Center and share information with the counties pursuant to the terms of the membership agreement;

     (2)  Require the Office of Elections and the county offices that administer elections to verify their respective voter registration rolls; and

     (3)  Appropriate funds to the Office of Elections to join the Electronic Registration Information Center and require the Office of Elections to request, as part of its annual budget, an appropriation from the Legislature to cover annual membership dues.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections, Common Cause Hawaii, and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of the County Clerk, County of Kaua‘i; Office of the County Clerk, County of Hawai‘i; and League of Women Voters of Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that the Electronic Registration Information Center is a nonprofit organization that helps states improve the accuracy of voter registration rolls by using secure data-matching tools.  States who are members of the Electronic Registration Information Center have reported an increase in voter registration through improved access to the registration process, reduction in provisional ballots and shorter lines at polling places due to clarity in registration status and accuracy of registration data, and improvements in record keeping for election administration offices.  By requiring the Office of Elections to join the Electronic Registration Information Center, this measure will help the State to realize the same benefits reported by states that are already members.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adopting language suggested by the Office of Elections to authorize the electronic transmission of databases containing driver's license and civil identification card information to election officials and the statewide voter registration system;

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of January 7, 2059, to encourage further discussion; and

     (3)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2444, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2444, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

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GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair