CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 166-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2008

RE:    S.B. No. 156

       S.D. 2

       H.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 156, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VOTING,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to allow a registered voter to request an absentee ballot and at the same time to request to receive absentee ballots permanently.

     A voter's permanent absentee voter status shall be terminated if any of the following conditions apply:

     (1)  The voter requests in writing that such status be terminated;

     (2)  The voter dies, loses voting rights, registers to vote in another jurisdiction, or is otherwise disqualified from voting;

     (3)  The voter's absentee ballot, voter notification postcard, or any other election mail is returned to the clerk as undeliverable for any reason; or

     (4)  The voter does not return a voter ballot by 6:00 p.m. election day in both the primary and general election of an election year.

     If a voter's permanent absentee voter status has been terminated due to one or more of the foregoing conditions, the voter shall be responsible for again requesting permanent absentee status.

     The intent of your Committee on Conference is to facilitate the utilization of absentee ballots, thereby increasing voter participation in the electoral process.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $35,000 out of the general fund to provide the five per cent state matching fund requirement needed to qualify for $575,000 in federal funds to be used by the office of elections to fulfill the requirements of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002;

     (2)  Adding an appropriation of $575,000 from federal funds, received pursuant to the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002, for the purpose of implementing and administering the permanent absentee voter program; and

     (3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2008.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 156, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 156, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ TOMMY WATERS, Co-Chair	____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair
____________________________ MARILYN B. LEE, Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair