STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1740

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 964

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 964, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CERTIFICATION OF DOCUMENTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate the certification of documents.

Specifically, the measure:

(1) Establishes a fee, to be assessed by the Lieutenant Governor, for the issuance of apostilles or non‑apostille certifications;

(2) Establishes an apostilles and certifications special fund, from which moneys may be expended for certain operational expenses; and

(3) Appropriates moneys out of the apostilles and certifications special fund for operational expenses relating to the purposes of the measure.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Lieutenant Governor and Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that each year, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor provides thousands of authentications for public and general documents that fall within the scope of this measure. These documents include marriage certificates, birth certificates, divorce decrees, wills, powers of attorney, and other documents. Your Committee finds that this measure would provide the Office with funding necessary to improve its efficiency in processing these documents.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Including legislative appropriations among the funding sources for the apostilles and certifications special fund; and

(2) Appropriating and depositing an unspecified sum from the general fund into the apostilles and certifications special fund; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 964, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 964, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair