STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 9

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 9 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BOARDS OF REGISTRATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require members of each Board of Registration be a registered voter in the respective county of the board to which the member is appointed and remain a registered voter in that county for their term of office; and

(2) Establish methods for determining and verifying a board member's political party membership.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the League of Women Voters.

Your Committee finds that the Board of Registration members play an important part in maintaining the integrity of elections by reviewing and deciding appeals that arise from a voter challenge or a clerk's decision regarding voter registration. If the member resides in the county that they represent, they are more likely to be familiar with the residents of the county, county clerk operations, and political parties active in the county. This measure will help to ensure that there is transparency within the Board of Registration.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that if a member changes their party membership during their term of office, then the member's new party membership shall be their membership;

(2) Clarifying that upon request by the Governor or a Senator, a member shall provide verification of party membership; and

(3) Specifying that a member shall also provide notice that they have changed their party membership to the Governor and Senate President if they change their party membership during their term of office.

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. 9, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 9, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair