Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2540, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to increase the stipend for voter precinct officials.

Your Committee finds that stipends for voter precinct officials have not increased for the past seventeen years. Presently, most precinct officials receive the base stipend of $75, which equates to about $5.55 per hour in a normal thirteen and one-half hour work day.

This measure would allow the state Office of Elections to increase stipends to ensure that polling places are fully staffed for future elections.

Your Committee has amended the measure by deleting the amount appropriated to facilitate further discussion on this matter.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2540, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2540, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.