STAND. COM. REP. NO. 167

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 97

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 97 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require:

(1) The Office of Elections to join the Electronic Registration Information Center; and

(2) The State and each county to use the Electronic Registration Information Center to verify voter rolls.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the County Clerk of the County of Kaua‘i.

Your Committee finds that the participation of eligible voters is important to a healthy democracy. Your Committee further finds that voter registration systems are frequently inefficient and prone to error. This measure will require the Office of Elections and the counties to work with the Electronic Registration Information Center to maintain the accuracy of voter registration rolls in Hawaii. Your Committee additionally finds that election officials and the voter registration system require authorization to access driver's license and civil identification card databases in order to successfully work with the Electronic Registration Information Center.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Authorizing election officials and the voter registration system to electronically access driver's license and civil identification card databases; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

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 S.B. No. 97, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 97, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair