CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 94

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 159

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 159, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTING,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Make an application for voter registration part of the state identification card or driver's license application process;

(2) Require applicants to choose to be registered to vote or make changes to the applicant's voter registration information as part of the application for a state identification card or driver's license; and

(3) Require the sharing of certain information among the counties, Department of Transportation, election personnel, and online voter registration system.

Your Committee on Conference finds that increased voter engagement and participation is beneficial to the civic health of the State, and that increased voter registration is a vital step in this process. Your Committee on Conference further finds that the electronic sharing of data will help ensure the accuracy of voter-registration polls and compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and Help America Vote Act of 2002.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Providing for an applicant for a driver's license or identification card to have automatically updated any changes to their name and address for voter registration purposes unless the applicant declines;

(2) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2021; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 159, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 159, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ MARK M. NAKASHIMA Co-Chair	____________________________ KARL RHOADS Chair
____________________________ TY J.K. CULLEN Co-Chair