CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 154

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 1248

H.D. 1

S.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 1248, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish elections by mail beginning with the 2022 primary election; and

(2) Require the Chief Election Officer to publish online voters' pamphlets for each election and disseminate postcards to voters notifying them of the online pamphlet's website address.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring all elections statewide to be conducted by mail beginning with the 2020 primary election;

(2) Changing the time of closure for voting from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.;

(3) Deleting language authorizing the clerk to establish varying times and dates of operation for additional service centers as may be necessary;

(4) Repealing Act 182, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, which established a pilot program for the 2020 primary and general elections in any county with a population of less than 100,000 to be conducted by mail on June 30, 2019;

(5) Changing the appropriation amount to the counties to cover the startup and transition costs for the voting by mail implementation from $987,127 to $830,731;

(6) Deleting the requirement that the Chief Election Officer publish online voters' pamphlets for each election and disseminate postcards to voters notifying them of the online pamphlet's website address;

(7) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2019; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1248, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1248, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ KARL RHOADS Chair	____________________________ CHRIS LEE Co-Chair
____________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN Co-Chair	____________________________ SYLVIA LUKE Co-Chair