STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1087

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 1471
                                        H.D. 1
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No.
1471, H.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill, as received by your Committee, is
to extend to June 30, 2001, the sunset date for Act 27, Special
Session Laws of Hawaii 1995, establishing the Office of Elections
and Elections Appointment Panel.

     Your Committee finds that the independence of the Office of
Elections serves a role in preserving the integrity of the
elections system, as well as the perception of that integrity.
Given the significance of this integrity and the perception
thereof, adding a review and appraisal function to the
appointments panel should help maintain or improve the
performance of the operation of elections and of the Chief
Election Officer.  Your Committee further finds that making the
panel more independent by changing the method by which the
members are selected advances this same goal.

     No testimony was submitted regarding this measure.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this
measure by deleting its contents and substituting therefor the
contents of S.B. 1462, S.D. 1, which:


 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1087
                                   Page 2


     (1)  Establishes an elections review program and requires
          assessment of the performance of the Chief Election
          Officer;

     (2)  Allows appointment of four members of the Elections
          Appointment and Review Panel by the leadership of the
          majority and minority parties of each house of the
          legislature;

     (3)  Assigns the Office of Elections and the Elections
          Appointment and Review Panel to the Department of
          Accounting and General Services for administrative
          purposes; and

     (4)  Makes an appropriation of $5,000 to support the
          purposes of this Act.

     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 H.B. No.
1471, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1471, H.D.
1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   AVERY B. CHUMBLEY, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   MATTHEW M. MATSUNAGA, Co-Chair

 
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