STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2207

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2699

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2699 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation in the amount of $1,725,000 for fiscal year 2011-2012, to fund the State's voting system contract for the 2012 elections.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections; the Office of the County Clerk of the County of Kauai; and the Office of the County Clerk of the County of Maui.

     Your Committee finds that the Office of Elections is in a multi-year contract with a vendor to provide a voting system for elections.  Although there was sufficient funding to cover the prior 2010 election cycle, the current biennium budget for the Office of Elections does not include funding for the 2012 election cycle of the contract.  As such, this measure provides the Office of Elections sufficient funding to cover its portion of the cost for the voting system as well as ensures that the office fulfills maintenance of effort provisions of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, which is necessary to maintain the State's eligibility for federal funding.

     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 S.B. No. 2699 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair