STAND. COM. REP. NO.  723

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 568

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 568 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to expand the duties of the Elections Commission to include providing oversight of the Chief Election Officer.

 

     The League of Women Voters testified in support of this measure.  The Office of the County Clerk of the County of Maui and Office of the County Clerk of the County of Kauai provided comments.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Elections Commission is charged with hiring and advising the Chief Election Officer, however, there is no mandate under current law for the Commission to perform any meaningful review of that position.  Your Committee finds that reviewing the performance of the Chief Election Officer is a natural and necessary function of the Commission and intends to require the Commission to assume that responsibility.  However, your Committee also finds that further consideration of whether such a review should be made public is necessary.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by requiring the Commission to conduct performance evaluations of the Chief Election Officer every six months, instead of mandating that the Commission provide oversight of the Chief Election Officer.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 568, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 568, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair