STAND. COM. REP. NO. 371-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1883

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1883 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the exterior of the envelope containing the ballot package for elections by mail to include instructions on how to obtain language translation services in Hawaiian and certain other non-English languages.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Language Access, City and County of Honolulu Elections Division, Common Cause Hawaii, Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Friends of Civil Rights, Filipina Advocacy Network, Hawai‘i Coalition for Immigrant Rights, and four individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Elections.

Your Committee finds that language translation services are already required and used by the State and counties for in-person voting. This measure will ensure that limited English proficient voters are informed about how to obtain language translation services when voting by mail.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to January 1, 2222, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1883, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1883, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair