STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1620

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 19

H.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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 19 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAST BALLOTS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to guarantee the vote of eligible voters who cast their ballot and then subsequently die or otherwise become ineligible before election day.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the League of Women Voters of Hawaii and Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Federation of Republican Women and twelve individuals.

Your Committee finds that the State's transition to vote by mail inadvertently did not account for a procedure for validating mail-in ballots cast by eligible voters who thereafter became ineligible, including those who became ineligible by death. This measure ensures that eligible voters who casted their ballot but subsequently become ineligible to vote due to valid reasons will still have their vote counted.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; 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 Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 19, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 19, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair