STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3811

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2802

H.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2802, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 1, SECTION 23, OF THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION RELATING TO MARRIAGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to propose a constitutional amendment to repeal the Legislature's authority to limit marriage to opposite-sex couples.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of the Governor; Hawaii Civil Rights Commission; American Association of University Women of Hawaii; Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center; Papa Ola Lokahi; Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Pride at Work – Hawaii; Democratic Party of Hawaii; Hawaii State Teachers Association; Fujiwara and Rosenbaum, LLLC; Hawaii State AFL-CIO; Indivisible Hawaii; ACLU of Hawaii; Qwaves Media; Hawaii State Commission on Fatherhood; Project Vision Hawaii; Change 23 Coalition; Japanese American Citizens League, Honolulu Chapter; Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation; and seventy individuals.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from six individuals.

Your Committee finds that, in 2013, the United States Supreme Court recognized the right of same-sex couples to marry. Your Committee further finds that the United States Congress enacted the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, which requires federal, state, and local governments to recognize and respect same-sex marriage.

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. 2802, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair