STAND. COM. REP. NO. 172

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 134

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 134 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require and appropriate funds for the Chief Election Officer to provide a system for the electronic filing of nomination papers.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Elections and four individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from three individuals.

Your Committee finds that the existing process for completing and filing nomination papers is a hybrid electronic-physical process. Providing a fully electronic process for completing and filing nomination papers will streamline the candidate filing process and improve government efficiency.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2) Changing the effective date to January 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee notes that the Office of Elections submitted testimony requesting that the measure be amended to authorize elections officials to charge a processing fee when candidates electronically file their nomination papers. The Office of Elections is also requesting the effective date be changed to January 1, 2028, to ensure that it is able to procure, test, and train candidates on the use of the electronic system.

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $500,000.

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 H.B. No. 134, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 134, 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,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair