STAND. COM. REP. NO.  3-16

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1474

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 1474, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to recognize and incentivize employers who permit employees to be absent with pay on Election Day to work at a polling place by establishing a "Kiwila Pono" or "Champion of Democracy" designation program for employers to indicate their participation in the program.

 

     The State of Hawaii Office of Elections and an individual provided testimony in support of the measure.

 

     Your Committee chose to exclude public employees from the "Kiwila Pono" program because they already receive a paid day off for Election Day.  Following the practice related to jury duty, your Committee has required that any additional earnings from Election Day work be given to the employer.  Your Committee also wanted to extend "Kiwila Pono" status to the employees working as Election Day workers.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Giving the designation of "Kiwila Pono" to the employees, in addition to employers, who participate in the program as Election Day workers;

 

     (2)  Making the program only applicable to non-public employers;

 

     (3)  Specifying that allowing at least one employee leave with pay to work on Election Day will qualify employers for the designation;

 

     (4)  Requiring that employees give any earnings received from Election Day work back to their employer; and

 

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1474, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1474, H.D. 2.

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair