STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2508

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2252

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 2252 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to enact requirements for ballot issue committees' contributions and expenditures.

 

     This measure also:

 

(1)  Defines "automated phone call", and clarifies the definitions of "advertisement" and "ballot issue committee";

 

(2)  Deletes the requirement that the Campaign Spending Commission adopt a code of fair campaign practices as part of its rules;

 

(3)  Clarifies the requirements for monetary contributions deposited into a depository institution;

 

(4)  Imposes limits on corporate contributions and expenditures to the company's noncandidate committee;

 

(5)  Changes to "fines" all references to "penalties" in the provisions relating to violations of reporting and advertising requirements, clarifies that the imposition of these fines are discretionary, and clarifies the limits of those fines; and

 

(6)  Requires certain information required under existing law to be included on every web page containing an advertisement and to be stated at the beginning of automated phone calls.

 

     Your Committee received written testimony in support of this measure from one state agency, one nonprofit entity, and one community entity.  Partial opposition was received from one political entity.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure is intended to update campaign spending laws to keep abreast with current issues relating to campaign financing, particularly with regard to ballot issue committees and automated phone calls which are currently unregulated.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Deleting section 5, relating to campaign contribution limits from corporations and companies, as this issue is addressed in another measure; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2252, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2252, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations,

 

 

 

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair