STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1110

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 716

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 716, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish new election deadlines to be consistent with Act 126, Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, which revised the state primary election date to comply with the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, P.L. 111-84.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections, Office of the County Clerk of the County of Maui, and League of Women Voters.

     Your Committee finds that during the 2010 Regular Session, the Legislature passed Act 126, Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, to meet a federal mandate requiring that absentee ballots be mailed to uniformed and overseas voters no later than forty-five days prior to elections for federal office.  This mailing deadline necessitated an amendment to Hawaii's primary election date, to allow for sufficient time between the primary and the general election to generate and mail the absentee ballots within this time period.  The change of the primary election date also requires other statutory amendments for consistency with the new primary date and to provide sufficient time for the Office of Elections to prepare and send the federal absentee ballots.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 716, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 716, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair