STAND. COM. REP. NO. 943

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1073

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 Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1073 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO FEES FOR MARRIAGE LICENSES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Increase the Marriage License Fee from $60 to $100;

(2) Increases the compensation for a marriage license agent from $9 to $15 per license;

(3) Authorize deposits of Marriage License Fees into the Vital Statistics Improvement Special Fund; and

(4) Adjust the distribution of the Marriage License Fee among various domestic violence prevention special funds.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Health and Domestic Violence Action Center.

Your Committee finds that there are approximately 20,000 marriage licenses issued in the State per year, around two-thirds of which are issued to out-of-state couples. This measure would provide operating funds for the Office of Health Status Monitoring, whose staff issue the marriage licenses and currently do not receive any funds from the Marriage License Fee.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the Marriage License Fee to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing the compensation for a marriage license agent per license to an unspecified amount;

(3) Changing the deposits and distribution of Marriage License Fees to unspecified amounts;

(4) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(5) 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 Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1073, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1073, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair