STAND. COM. REP. NO. 317

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1144

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1144 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase the marriage license fee to fund the Hawaii Birth Defects Program, modernization of the vital statistics system, and operating costs of marriage license agents.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Health and one individual.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Domestic Violence Action Center

 

     Your Committee finds that the State's marriage license fee is used, in part, to support the Hawaii Birth Defects Program and the Spouse and Child Abuse Special Fund.  Your Committee further finds that no part of the marriage license fee is used to update the vital statistics computer system that maintains the State's records of marriage license issuance and registration.  Your Committee finds that this measure increases the fee amount for marriage licenses, thereby increasing funding to these causes.  The funds will also be used to update the vital statistics system, which is aging and could be more efficient in processing request, especially with the increased demands for records to comply with REAL ID Act standards.  Your Committee recognizes the testimony of the Domestic Violence Action Center, which expressed concerns that adding more programs to receive distributions from marriage license fees could reduce the amount received by the Spouse and Child Abuse Special Fund.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting a blank amount for the new marriage license fees;

 

     (2)  Inserting blank amounts for the distribution of marriage license fees;

 

     (3)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1144, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1144, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

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JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair