republic-os/legislation/us/states/hi/2019-regular-session/hb-168.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "RELATING TO THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF BALLOTS."
description: "Authorizes a voter with special needs, including a disability, to request that a ballot be forwarded by electronic transmission at any time. (SD1)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/hi"
legislature: "Hawaii Legislature"
session: "2019 Regular Session"
identifier: "HB 168"
citation: "Hawaii HB 168 (2019 Regular Session)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Office of Elections Package", "Electronic Transmission of Ballots", "Elections"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["SAIKI (Introduced by request of another party)"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 32
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2019-01-17"
last_action: "2019-06-28"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f7e62846-2bc4-4763-93c1-8275658f0573"
source_url: "http://capitol.hawaii.gov/Archives/measure_indiv_Archives8-12.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=168&year=2019"
source_hash: "16c17eebc16bbed8ae825aaabac13dd1efcf47d91fbbbead6e60514f82dfe668"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-hi"]
---

# Hawaii HB 168 (2019 Regular Session) — RELATING TO THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF BALLOTS.

Authorizes a voter with special needs, including a disability, to request that a ballot be forwarded by electronic transmission at any time. (SD1)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **HB168** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2019/bills/HB168_.HTM)

## Votes

- The committees on JUD recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **4–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- SAIKI (Introduced by request of another party) — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-01-17** Pending introduction.
- **2019-01-18** Introduced and Pass First Reading. `introduction, reading-1`
- **2019-01-22** Referred to JUD, referral sheet 2 `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-01** Bill scheduled to be heard by JUD on Tuesday, 02-05-19 2:05PM in House conference room 325.
- **2019-02-05** The committee(s) on JUD recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 02-06-19.
- **2019-02-05** Bill scheduled for decision making on Wednesday, 02-06-19 2:00PM in conference room 325.
- **2019-02-06** The committees on JUD recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) C. Lee, San Buenaventura, Brower, Creagan, McKelvey, Morikawa, Takayama, Yamane; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Say; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Lowen, Thielen. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-02-28** Reported from JUD (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 927), recommending passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- **2019-02-28** Passed Second Reading; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) DeCoite excused (1).
- **2019-03-01** Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) DeCoite, Nakashima excused (2). Transmitted to Senate. `passage`
- **2019-03-05** Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 149). `introduction`
- **2019-03-05** Passed First Reading. `reading-1`
- **2019-03-05** Referred to JDC. `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-08** The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 03-12-19 9:00AM in conference room 016.
- **2019-03-12** The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) K. Rhoads, Wakai, Gabbard, Kim; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-03-29** Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1669) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- **2019-03-29** Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1).
- **2019-03-29** 48 Hrs. Notice 04-01-19.
- **2019-04-01** Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 23; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 2 (Senator(s) Harimoto, Ruderman). Transmitted to House. `passage`
- **2019-04-01** Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 549) in amended form (SD 1).
- **2019-04-02** House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
- **2019-04-03** Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 535).
- **2019-04-12** Senate Conferees Appointed: K. Rhoads Chair; Gabbard, Kim, Fevella.
- **2019-04-12** Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 898).
- **2019-04-23** Reconsideration of action taken on 04-02-19.
- **2019-04-24** Received notice of House reconsideration of action in disagreeing to the amendments proposed by the Senate (Hse. Com. No. 853).
- **2019-04-24** House agrees to Senate amendment(s).
- **2019-04-24** Passed Final Reading as amended in SD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Holt excused (1).
- **2019-04-25** Received notice of House agreement and passage on Final Reading (Hse. Com. No. 859).
- **2019-04-24** Transmitted to Governor.
- **2019-06-28** Act 137, on 06/25/2019 (Gov. Msg. No. 1239). `executive-signature`
- **2019-06-28** Act 137, 06/25/2019 (Gov. Msg. No. 1239). `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f7e62846-2bc4-4763-93c1-8275658f0573`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Hawaii legislature records).