STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1339

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 421

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 421, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VACANCIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the manner and certain time frames in which a vacancy in the membership of the State Senate is filled.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections.

Your Committee finds that since 2010, there have been at least twenty vacancies in the offices of the United States Senators, United States Representatives, State Senators, and State Representatives. Your Committee further finds that the electorate, rather than the Governor, should fill any vacancy in these offices.

Your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting the contents of H.B. No. 1117 (Regular Session of 2021), a measure that requires vacancies in the offices of the United States Senators, United States Representatives, State Senators, and State Representatives to be filled by special election.

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 S.B. No. 421, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 421, S.D. 1, 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