REPORT TITLE:
Election of OHA Trustees


DESCRIPTION:
Amends OHA Trustee candidate voting procedures by allowing
qualified Hawaiian voters to vote for trustee representation by
island.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           2479
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO THE ELECTION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE OFFICE
   OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Section 13D-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended to read as follows:
 
 3      "[[]§13D-1[]]  Board of trustees; number; composition.  The
 
 4 board of trustees shall be composed of nine members, four of the
 
 5 members shall be elected at-large by qualified voters in the
 
 6 State who are Hawaiian.  Of the [nine] remaining five members to
 
 7 be elected, one shall reside on the island of Hawaii; one shall
 
 8 reside on the island of Maui; and one shall reside on the island
 
 9 of Molokai; one shall reside on the island of Kauai; and one
 
10 shall reside on the island of Oahu."
 
11      SECTION 2.  Section 13D-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
12 amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
 
13      "(b)  No person shall be eligible to register as a voter for
 
14 the election of board members unless the person meets the
 
15 following qualifications:
 
16      (1)  The person is Hawaiian;
 
17      (2)  The person has attained the age of eighteen years or
 
18           will have attained such age within one year of the date
 
19           of the next election of board members; [and]
 

 
Page 2                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2479
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (3)  The person is otherwise qualified to register to vote
 
 2           in the State[.]; and
 
 3      (4)  For the election of board members that represent
 
 4           specific islands, the person must be a resident of that
 
 5           island."
 
 6     SECTION 3.  Section 13D-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to
 
 7 read as follows:
 
 8     "[[]§13D-4[]]  Election of board members.  Members of the board of
 
 9 trustees shall be elected at a special election held in conjunction with
 
10 the general election in every even-numbered year.  Except as otherwise
 
11 provided by this chapter, members shall be nominated and elected in the
 
12 manner prescribed by this title.
 
13     Nomination papers.  The chief election officer shall prepare the
 
14 nomination papers in such a manner that a candidate desiring to file for
 
15 election to the board shall be able to specify whether the candidate is
 
16 seeking a seat requiring residency on a particular island or a seat
 
17 without such residency requirement.
 
18     Ballot.  The board of trustees ballot shall be prepared in such a
 
19 manner that every voter qualified and registered under section 13D-3
 
20 shall be afforded the opportunity to vote for [each and every] one
 
21 candidate seeking election to the board[.] to represent the island on
 
22 which the voter resides, and for up to four candidates who are seeking
 

 
 
 
Page 3                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           2479
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 election in the at-large category.  The ballot shall contain the names of
 
 2 all board candidates arranged alphabetically; provided that the names of
 
 3 candidates seeking seats requiring residency on a particular island shall
 
 4 also be grouped by island of residency.  Each eligible voter shall be
 
 5 entitled to receive the board of trustees ballot and to vote for the
 
 6 number of seats [available.] allowed under this section."
 
 7     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.  New
 
 8 statutory material is underscored.
 
 9     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
10 
 
11                           INTRODUCED BY:_________________________