STAND. COM. REP. NO. 644-20

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2020

RE: H.B. No. 2119

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 2119, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase opportunities for eligible individuals to register to vote and participate in the democratic process by:

(1) Requiring that any person who is eligible to vote and applies for a driver's license, provisional license, instruction permit, or identification card be automatically registered to vote, if that person is not already registered to do so, unless the applicant affirmatively declines to be registered; and

(2) Authorizing the electronic transmission of certain information from the examiner of drivers to elections officials and the statewide voter registration system.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections; County of Hawaii Office of the County Clerk; American Association of University Women of Hawaii; LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Pride at Work – Hawaii; Breastfeeding Hawaii; Indivisible Windward; Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations; Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii; Young Progressives Demanding Action; Sierra Club of Hawaii; Hawaii Public Health Institute; Common Cause Hawaii; AVR Hawaii Coalition; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice; Americans for Democratic Action; Community Alliance on Prisons; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; Hawaii Community Foundation; League of Women Voters; and seventeen individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Transportation, Pono Hawaii Initiative, Zonta Club, and American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that this measure will require applicants to either automatically register to vote or affirmatively opt out of registration as part of the driver's license and identification card application process. In addition, the electronic sharing of data will help ensure the accuracy of voter-registration rolls and compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and Help America Vote Act of 2002.

Your Committee has amended measure by:

(1) Deleting all references to permanent absentee ballots;

(2) Authorizing the Director of Transportation, rather than the Chief Election Officer, to determine other voter registration or election purposes for providing election officials and the online voter registration system access to databases maintained or operated by the counties or Department of Transportation that contain driver's license or identification card information; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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 H.B. No. 2119, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2119, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair