STAND. COM. REP. NO. 910

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1144

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1144, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MARRIAGE LICENSE FEES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the marriage license statute to support the Hawaii Birth Defects Program, modernization of the vital statistics system, and operating costs of marriage license agents.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committees find that portions of marriage license fees are deposited into the general fund and various special funds, including the Birth Defects Special Fund, which supports the Birth Defects Program (Program). The purpose of the Program is to collect surveillance information on birth defects and other adverse reproductive outcomes, report trends and information for the development of prevention strategies to reduce incidents of birth defects, and improve access to health and early intervention services for children with birth defects. Because the Program's salary and fringe expenses have doubled since the last increase in 2002, increasing the marriage license fee will allow the Program to maintain its mandated responsibilities and ensure sufficient funding for operating expenses. Additionally, the current vital statistics computer system that includes the marriage license issuance and registration system is over twenty years old and needs to be modernized. Your Committees also find that marriage license agents have not had a fee increase since 1998. An increase to the marriage license fee is therefore necessary to provide funding to support these programs and services.

Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1144, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1144, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means,

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair