STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1469_______

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: S.B. No. 631
                                     S.D. 1
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which
was referred S.B. No. 631, S.D. 1, entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO POLITICAL PARTIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to make it easier for a
political party to qualify and operate in Hawaii.  Specifically,
this is accomplished by lowering the number of required
signatures on the petition to be filed with the Chief Elections
Officer from one per cent to one tenth of one per cent of
registered voters at the last general election in order to
qualify as a political party.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the
Office of Elections, Common Cause Hawaii, The Libertarian Party
of Hawaii, Hawaii Green Party, and several private citizens.

     Your Committee finds it is important to encourage and
facilitate the participation of new political parties to ensure
the exchange of ideas through the political process.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Deleting the purpose and findings section;

     (2)  Deleting the language amending the definition of
          "political party"; 

 
 
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     (3)  Inserting language clarifying what requirements must be
          met to qualify as a political party in Hawaii; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of S.B. No. 631, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and
recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached
hereto as S.B. No. 631, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be placed on the
calendar for Third Reading.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Judiciary &
                                   Hawaiian Affairs,



                                   ______________________________
                                   PAUL T. OSHIRO, Chair