STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1204-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2240

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2240, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require and appropriate funds for the Office of Elections to file an application with the Electronic Registration Information Center, Inc., for the State to be admitted as a member of the organization;

(2) Require the State and each county to use the information and services made available by the Electronic Registration Information Center, Inc., to verify their voter registration rolls; and

(3) Require the Office of Elections to request an appropriation from the Legislature, before fiscal year 2025-2026, for the State's annual membership dues to the Electronic Registration Information Center, Inc.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections; League of Women Voters of Hawaii; and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaiʻi Federation of Republican Women and numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Electronic Registration Information Center, Inc., also known as ERIC, is a nonprofit organization that uses secure data—matching tools to help member states improve the accuracy of their voter registration rolls. With nearly half of the United States participating in ERIC, your Committee believes that Hawaii would benefit greatly from the information and services provided by ERIC.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee notes the Campaign Spending Commission's funding request of $149,000 for fiscal year 2024-2025 to join ERIC.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2240, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2240, 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 & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair