STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3506

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     H.B. No. 1678

        H.D. 1

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, to which was referred H.B. No. 1678, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ASSOCIATIONS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to clarify that in planned community association and condominium association elections conducted by cumulative voting, cumulative voting rights apply to all candidates, including write-ins, and that individual votes are used when allocating votes.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Council of Community Associations, Legislative Committee of the Hawaiʻi State Association of Parliamentarians, Associa, Honolulu Tower, Palehua Townhouses Association, AOAO Lakeview Sands, and nine individuals.

 

     Your Committee finds that existing law provides for cumulative voting only for persons nominated in elections for board member and officer positions for condominium associations and does not account for write-in candidates.  This measure would provide important clarification regarding write-in candidates and cumulative voting to improve fairness, transparency, and consistency in association elections.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1678, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1678, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection,

 

 

 

________________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair