STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1518

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 412

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 412, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Increase the opportunities for individuals to register to vote by making the completion of an affidavit and application for voter registration mandatory for all driver's license or identification card applicants;

(2) Automatically register each qualified applicant for voting unless the applicant affirmatively declines to register to vote; and

(3) Ensure the accuracy of the voter registration rolls by electronically transmitting voter registration data between the driver's license and identification card databases and the statewide voter registration system.

The Office of Elections; Department of Transportation; Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women; County Clerk for the County of Hawai‘i; Sierra Club of Hawai‘i; Transform Hawai‘i Government; Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii; American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i; AVR Hawaii; Common Cause Hawaii; O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Hawaii Women's Coalition; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice; Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action; Hawai‘i Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations; Hawaii Government Employees Association AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Pono Hawai‘i Initiative; and many individuals testified in support of this measure. The Honolulu County Republican Party and a few individuals testified in opposition to this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing its effective date to January 28, 2081, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 412, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 412, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair