SB2239

SECTION 1. Section 11-15.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§11-15.5[]] Duties of all state agencies; voter registration. (a) Each state agency that deals with the public shall make available to each member of the public eighteen years of age or older an application in the form of an affidavit for voter registration pursuant to section 11-15. The application shall be available by mail or in person depending on the manner in which the agency's services are requested by the person. The form of the application may be identical to that described and found in public telephone directories.

(b) Each state agency that deals with the public and collects or cross-references reliable personal information indicating citizenship status may provide that an application for a license, permit, program, or service shall serve as a dual-purpose application. If the state agency chooses to process any application as a dual-purpose application, the application shall:

(1) Serve as an application for voter registration;

(2) Allow an applicant to change the applicant's registered residence address or name as it appears on the voter registration rolls; and

(3) Provide the applicant with an opportunity to affirmatively decline to register to vote or change the applicant's registered residence address or name by providing a check box on the application form without requiring the applicant to state a reason.

Dual-purpose applications shall not be processed until the applicant completes the portion of the application related to voter registration and indicates the applicant's choice of whether to register to vote.

The submission of the dual-purpose application shall be deemed to authorize the director of the respective state agency to collect and transmit only the information necessary to register the applicant as a voter if the applicant chose to register or to make changes to the applicant's voter registration information unless the applicant declined to make changes. The director of the respective state agency may electronically transmit the necessary information to the clerk of the county in which the applicant resides, election officials, and the online voter registration system pursuant to subsection (d).

The director of the respective state agency shall not transmit any information necessary to register an applicant as a voter if the applicant chose not to be registered to vote, nor transmit any information necessary to make changes to the applicant's voter registration information if the applicant declined to make changes. The director of the respective state agency shall not transmit any information related to a voter application or changes to the applicant's voter registration information if the applicant presents a document demonstrating a lack of United States citizenship.

(c) Upon receipt of the completed dual-purpose application transmitted from the director of the respective state agency, the clerk shall review and either approve or reject the voter registration application in accordance with this part; provided that an approved voter registration application received from the director of the respective state agency pursuant to this section shall be treated as having a valid signature for purposes of section 11‑15(c), whether transmitted electronically or by facsimile transmission. Upon the clerk's approval of the voter registration application or any changes to the voter registration information, the clerk shall number the application and register the name of the voter in the general county register as provided in section 11‑14 or make approved changes to the voter's existing voter registration information as applicable.

(d) Databases maintained or operated by each state agency offering dual-purpose applications containing dual-purpose application information, including any documents or images, may be accessible and provided electronically to election officials and the online voter registration system to allow for the timely processing of voter applications, ensure the integrity of the voter registration rolls, and for any other voter registration or election purposes, as determined by the director of the respective state agency offering dual-purpose applications.

(e) For the purposes of this section:

"Dual-purpose application" means an application, an application for renewal, a change of address form, or a recertification form for a license, permit, program, or service offered by a state agency that also serves as an application to register to vote in the State.

"Reliable personal information" means information about individuals obtained from government sources that may be used to verify whether an individual is eligible to register to vote."

SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2239
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII