Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 592 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to enable the Office of Elections to meet the five per cent matching fund requirement of the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of Elections, the Office of the County Clerk for the County of Maui, the Office of the County Clerk for the County of Hawaii, the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Safe Vote Hawaii, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that under the Help America Vote Act of 2002, the State is eligible to receive federal funding if the State appropriates a certain percentage of matching funds. By providing the matching amount, the State may be eligible to receive more than $7,000,000, the maximum amount allowable under the Act, to improve the administration of elections, replace punch cards and lever machines, conduct voter education, and comply with the requirements of the Help America Vote Act.

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. 592 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.