STAND. COM. REP. NO.  192

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 376

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 376 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE CHIEF ELECTION OFFICER,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

(1)  Reduce the Chief Election Officer's term of office from four years to two years;

 

(2)  Require a performance evaluation of the Chief Election Officer within two months of the last election; and

 

(3)  Require a public hearing on the performance evaluation before the appointment or reappointment of the Chief Election Officer.

 

     Several concerned individuals testified in support of the bill.  The Office of the County Clerk, County of Hawaii; Office of the County Clerk, County of Kauai; and Office of the County Clerk, County of Maui testified in opposition.  The League of Women Voters of Hawaii testified in opposition and provided comments.  Common Cause Hawaii provided comments.

 


     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Deleting the reduction of the Chief Election Officer's term of office;

 

(2)  Specifying that the Chief Election Officer shall be an at-will employee;

 

(3)  Requiring the Elections Commission to provide written notification of removal and the reason for the removal upon the removal of the Chief Election Officer;

 

(4)  Requiring the Elections Commission to conduct a performance evaluation of the Chief Election Officer within two months after a general election is certified; and

 

(5)  Requiring the Elections Commission to conduct a public hearing on the Chief Election Officer's performance and consider information gathered to inform deliberations on the reappointment 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. 376, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 376, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair