HB141 • 2026

RELATING TO THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION.

Elections

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: TAM, BELATTI, GRANDINETTI, IWAMOTO, MARTEN
Last action: 2025-12-08
Official status: Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on specific timelines for filling vacancies or consequences if Senate approval is denied.

Changes to the Elections Commission

This bill changes how members of the Elections Commission are chosen by requiring Senate approval and clarifies that a majority of all members must be present for decisions.

What This Bill Does

Requires Senate approval for all members of the Elections Commission before they can join.
Clarifies that at least five out of nine members (a majority) must be present to make decisions.

Who It Names or Affects

Members of the Elections Commission
The Senate

Terms To Know

Quorum: The minimum number of members needed for a group to make decisions legally.
Advice and Consent: A process where the Senate must approve someone before they can join an important group like the Elections Commission.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how long it will take for changes to happen.
It is unclear what happens if the Senate does not agree with a nomination.
This bill only affects Hawaii's Elections Commission and similar rules in other places are different.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment changes how members of the Elections Commission are appointed, requiring Senate approval, and clarifies that a majority of all entitled members constitutes a quorum.

Changes the appointment process for Elections Commission members to require nomination by specific officials and confirmation by the Senate.
Clarifies that a majority of all entitled members is needed to form a quorum.
Specifies that vacancies must be filled within fifteen days, with exceptions during interim periods when the chief justice appoints new members.

The amendment text does not specify how the initial appointments will be made or what happens if the Senate is in recess and cannot confirm nominees.

Bill History

2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-03-06 S
Referred to JDC, WAM.
2025-03-06 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-06 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 194).
2025-03-04 H
Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Hussey voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Kila, Matsumoto, Muraoka, Reyes Oda, Shimizu voting no (7) and Representative(s) Kapela, Pierick, Ward excused (3). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-27 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; Representative(s) Alcos, Garcia, Matsumoto, Muraoka, Reyes Oda, Shimizu voting no (6) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4).
2025-02-27 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 821) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
2025-01-28 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd; Ayes with reservations: none; 2 Noes: Representative(s) Garcia, Shimizu; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.
2025-01-23 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Tuesday, 01-28-25 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to JHA, referral sheet 1
2025-01-16 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-14 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION.
Elections Commission; Members; Advice and Consent; Quorum
Makes the members of the Elections Commission subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. Clarifies that a majority of all members to which the Elections Commission is entitled shall constitute a quorum to do business. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB141

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

141

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to the elections commission
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section 11-7, Hawaii
Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

����
"
[
[
]
�11-7
[
]
]
�
Elections commission.
�
(a)
�
There is established an elections
commission within the department of accounting and general services for
administrative purposes.
�
The elections
commission shall consist of nine members who shall be [
selected as follows:
]

nominated and, by and with the advice and consent of the senate, appointed as
follows:

����
(1)
�
The president of
the senate shall
[
select
]
nominate
two elections
commission members;

����
(2)
�
The speaker of the
house of representatives shall
[
select
]
nominate
two elections
commission members;

����
(3)
�
The senators
belonging to a party or parties different from the president of the senate
shall designate one senator to
[
select
]
nominate
two elections
commission members;

����
(4)
�
The
representatives belonging to a party or parties different from the speaker of
the house of representatives shall designate one representative to
[
select
]
nominate
two elections commission members; and

����
(5)
�
One member, who
shall serve as chairperson of the elections commission, shall be [
selected
]

nominated

by [
the
]
a
vote of two-thirds of all
members [
of
]
to which
the elections
commission
[
selected
]
is entitled and who have already been appointed
and confirmed
pursuant to paragraphs (1) to (4)[
;
]
, and shall
be appointed by and with the advice and consent of the senate;

provided that each group of four elections
commission members
[
selected
]
appointed
by each house shall
include one elections commission member from each of the four counties.

����
[
(b)
�
The chairperson of the elections commission
under subsection (a)(5) shall be selected by a two-thirds vote.

����
(c)
]
(b)
�
A vacancy in the elections commission shall
be filled in the same manner as the original appointment as specified in
subsection (a) within fifteen days.
�
A
vacancy in the elections commission shall be filled with a person from the same
county as the departing elections commission member.
�
Elections commission member vacancies not
filled within the times specified shall be filled promptly thereafter by the
chief justice of the supreme court.

����
[
(d)
]
(c)
�
The elections commission shall act by
majority vote of its membership and shall establish its own procedures, except
as may be provided by law
.
�

A majority of all members to which the commission is entitled shall
constitute a quorum to do business.

����
[
(e)
�
Notwithstanding
section 26-34, elections commission member appointments shall not be subject to
senatorial confirmation.

����
(f)
]
(d)
�
The term of the
elections commissioners shall be four years, except that with respect to the
terms of the initial elections commission members, one member selected from
each of subsection (a)(1) to (4) shall serve for a term of two years.

����
[
(g)
]
(e)
�
The elections commissioners shall serve
without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for reasonable expenses,
including travel expenses, necessary for the performance of their duties."

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Statutory material to be
repealed is bracketed and stricken.
�
New
statutory material is underscored.

����
SECTION
3
.
�
This Act shall take effect
upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Elections Commission; Members; Advice and Consent

Description:

Makes the members of the Elections Commission subject
to the advice and consent of the Senate.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.