STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1555-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2239

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2239, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require:

(1) A person who applies for an identification card or driver's license to be automatically registered to vote unless the person affirmatively declines; and

(2) The name and address of a person who applies for an identification card or driver's license and is registered to vote to be automatically updated on the person's voter registration record unless the person affirmatively declines.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Imua Alliance; Hawaiʻi State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Plus Commission; Pride at Work - Hawaiʻi; HOKU PAC; Responsive Gov Action; and four individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaiian Islands Republican Women and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General; Office of Elections; Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu; League of Women Voters of Hawaiʻi; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that in 2021, Hawaii established automatic voter registration to increase the state's historically low voter participation rates. Yet, the automatic voter registration system was an opt-in system that places responsibility for registration on individual voters, thereby failing to fully include the total potential population of new voters. This undermines the full impact of the State's automatic voter registration program. In the 2024 primary election, for example, the State experienced its lowest turnout in sixty-five years with only 32.1 percent of registered voters filling out a ballot. This measure will make registration more efficient by empowering applications at public-facing state agencies to serve as dual purpose voter registration applications.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Prohibiting applications for an identification card or driver's license from being processed unless the applicant completes certain attestations and is provided a clear and conspicuous notice with certain information;

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

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

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. 2239, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2239, S.D. 1, 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