STAND. COM. REP. NO.  761-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 1653

      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. 1653, 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:

(1)  Adopt elections by mail for the entire State by expanding the procedures used for absentee voting to transition all voters to permanent absentee status by 2022.  The transition to all mail elections will occur incrementally as follows: the County of Kauai in 2018; the County of Hawaii and County of Maui in 2020; and all counties in 2022; and

(2)  Require that a person who registers to vote acknowledge that providing false information is a class C felony.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, County of Hawaii Office of the County Clerk, County of Kauai Office of the County Clerk, County of Maui Office of the County Clerk, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii, and an individual provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Office of Elections, City and County of Honolulu Office of the City Clerk, and an individual provided comments.

     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. 1653, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair