STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2881

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2239

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 Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2239 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize state agencies to make applications for voter registration part of certain state agency application processes; and

(2) Facilitate the sharing of certain information among certain state agencies, election personnel, and online voter registration system.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the City Clerk of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action, Green Party of Hawaiʻi, Imua Alliance, Kauai Indivisible, and fifteen individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Hawaiian Islands Republican Women and fourteen individuals.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General, Office of Elections, and Department of Customer Services of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's current system that includes the voter registration form on driver's license and identification card applications has increased voter system registration among eligible applicants. The system, however, requires the eligible applicant to select, or "opt-in", to be registered and some applicants overlook this option. Your Committee believes that the system can be improved by moving to an "opt-out" system where eligible applicants must affirmatively decline to register to vote, otherwise they will be automatically registered to vote.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have authorized state agencies to make applications for voter registration part of certain state agency application processes;

(2) Deleting language that would have facilitated the sharing of certain information among certain state agencies, election personnel, and online voter registration system;

(3) Inserting language that requires a person who applies for an identification card or driver's license to be automatically registered to vote unless the person affirmatively declines;

(4) Inserting language that requires 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; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2239, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2239, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair