STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1363

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 1370

S.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 1370, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LICENSES TO SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish standard and short-term licenses and license fees to solemnize marriages; and

(2) Specify in what amount and into which fund license fees shall be deposited.

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

Your Committee finds that Act 221, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, established a mechanism for the issuance of a civil license to solemnize a marriage, including the establishment of a fee structure for the issuance of the civil license. Your Committee further finds that this fee structure has created an unintentional imbalance, as there are currently no fees for religious or judicial licenses to solemnize marriage. This measure is intended to establish parity between all types of officiants by establishing an across-the-board fee for persons wishing to solemnize marriages of any kind.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1370, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair