STAND. COM. REP. NO. 696

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 421

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 421 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VACANCIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the manner and certain time frames specifying how 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 received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that although election laws in the State have generally been updated to comply with the requirements of federal law, the timeline and process for filling a vacancy in the State Senate has remained constant. Your Committee further finds that this discrepancy could potentially cause a conflict in the case of an unexpected vacancy in the Senate that occurs shortly before an election. This measure will ensure consistency between federal and state ballot transmission requirements and candidate filing deadlines.

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 421, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 421, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair