STAND. COM. REP. NO. 540

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 622

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 622 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Elections Commission to conduct a performance evaluation of the Chief Election Officer after each election and submit a written report regarding the evaluation to the Legislature.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Common Cause Hawaii, and one individual.

     Your Committee finds that during the 2012 and 2014 elections, concerns were raised about the performance of the Chief Election Officer.  This measure requires a performance evaluation of the Chief Election Officer after each election to assist in maintaining the integrity and efficiency of elections.

     Your Committee notes the concerns raised in the written testimony submitted by the League of Women Voters of Hawaii that requiring a performance evaluation to be conducted after each election may be problematic due to the relatively short period of time between a primary election and general election.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Requiring that the Elections Commission conduct a performance evaluation of the Chief Election Officer after each general election rather than each election and report on other evaluation after the general election results; and

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of January 7, 2059, to encourage further discussion.

     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. 622, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 622, 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,

________________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair