STAND. COM. REP. NO.  868-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1652

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1652 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase voter registration by:

     (1)  Requiring an application for voter registration to be included with applications for civil identification cards and driver's licenses;

     (2)  Requiring the applicant to accept or decline the voter registration before the identification card or driver's license application may be processed; and

     (3)  Giving election officials and the statewide registration system electronic access to the registrant's information to allow for the timely processing of voter registration applications.

The Office of Elections; Kauai Office of the County Clerk; the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii; the League of Women Voters of Hawaii; and one individual testified in support of this measure.  The Department of Transportation provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to facilitate further discussion; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1652, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1652, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair