STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1139-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2210

S.D. 2

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 Government Reform, to which was referred S.B. No. 2210, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Chief Election Officer, with assistance from the county clerks for elections that involve county offices and countywide ballot issues, to publish and distribute a voters' pamphlet for each election, beginning with the 2024 Primary Election.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Common Cause Hawaii and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Office of Elections.

Your Committee finds that providing a voters' pamphlet to every registered voter in the State will expand the information provided to registered voters, which in turn will lead to a more informed and engaged public.

Your Committee believes that the preparation, publishing, and distribution of a voters' pamphlet would be best handled by the counties and as such believes this measure should be applicable only to the counties.

Your Committee further finds, however, that to mandate the counties to fund this initiative solely through their own resources, even though the initiative only pertains to them, would violate the unfunded mandate ruling. As such, your Committee intends to amend this measure to require matching funds from the respective county in which the publication applies.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Appropriating an unspecified sum for the publication and distribution of a voters' pamphlet by the Chief Election Officer for the 2024 Primary Election and each election thereafter, subject to matching funds provided by the counties; 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 Government Reform that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2210, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2210, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Government Reform,

____________________________

ANGUS L.K. McKELVEY, Chair