STAND. COM. REP. NO. 608-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2180

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 Legislative Management, to which was referred H.B. No. 2180 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTING BOARDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Legislative Reference Bureau to conduct a feasibility study on the implementation of an electronic voting board in both legislative chambers of the Hawaii State Capitol.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from five individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Your Committee finds that the use of voting boards and electronic voting systems are incredibly common among state legislatures, with the National Conference of State Legislatures finding that nearly two-thirds of states have implemented electronic voting systems. Your Committee further finds that electronic voting systems allow the public to instantly see how legislators voted, thereby improving transparency, and require legislators to take an action, usually pushing a button, rather than merely being present, in order to record a vote. Your Committee believes that the implementation of electronic voting boards in the chambers of the Legislature will provide enhanced access to real-time legislative information as votes are taken by legislators.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have required the Legislative Reference Bureau to conduct a feasibility study on implementing electronic voting boards in both chambers of the Legislature;

(2) Appropriating an unspecified amount of funds to the House of Representatives to implement an electronic voting board system in the chamber of the House of Representatives;

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

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

Your Committee notes that the Legislative Reference Bureau provided in its testimony the following costs of electronic voting boards, also known as electronic roll call systems, in several other states:

(1) Approximately $500,000 to install an electronic roll call system for the New Hampshire House of Representatives chamber, with an annual cost of $10,000;

(2) Installation costs between $500,000 and $1,500,000 for the installation of electronic voting systems in the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate chambers, with software development costs between $400,000 and $800,000 and annual maintenance costs between $50,000 and $150,000; and

(3) Between $475,000 and $700,000 for an electronic voting system for Vermont.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Legislative Management that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2180, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2180, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Legislative Management,

____________________________

SEAN QUINLAN, Chair