STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2069

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3123

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 3123 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FEES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase the marriage license fee to support the Hawaii Birth Defects Program, fund the modernization of the vital statistics system, and more fairly compensate marriage license agents.

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

Your Committee finds that currently, the marriage license fee is $60. Approximately sixty percent of marriage licenses were issued to non-residents. Of the $60 collected, no portion is allocated to maintaining the statewide marriage license registration system. This system is over twenty years old and needs to be modernized. Your Committee further finds that the purpose of the Hawaii Birth Defects Program (Program) is to collect, analyze, and report data on birth defects and other adverse reproductive outcomes in the State. The Program's staff salaries and expenses have doubled from 2002 to 2021. Furthermore, marriage license fees also support two special funds benefiting victims of spousal and child abuse. Finally, a portion of the marriage license fees are allocated to marriage license agents, whose fees have remained the same since 1998. This measure, which increases the marriage license fee, will fund the modernization of the State's vital statistics system, fund the Hawaii Birth Defects Program and two spousal and child abuse funds, and more fairly compensate marriage license agents.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting blank fee amounts; and

(2) Inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3123, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3123, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Judiciary and Ways and Means.

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

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair