THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

381

TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013

S.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC FUNDING FOR ELECTIONS.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  Act 244, Session Laws of Hawaii 2008, is amended by amending section 8 to read as follows:

     "SECTION 8.  Certification of qualification for comprehensive public funds[.]; limit number of certified candidates.  (a)  Candidates seeking certification as a comprehensive publicly funded candidate shall submit to the commission an application for certification that contains at least two hundred printed names, addresses, and signatures and qualifying contributions for the county of Hawaii from registered voters in the district for which the candidate seeks office no later than thirty days prior to the primary election, signed by the participating candidate and the participating candidate's campaign treasurer under penalty of perjury.  The clerk for the county of Hawaii shall verify that at least two hundred signatures and qualifying contributions were received from registered voters in the district for which the candidate seeks office, that the candidate resides in the district from which election is sought as of the date of the filing of nomination papers, and that the candidate is a registered voter in the district from which election is sought.

     (b)  The application shall also include any information deemed necessary and appropriate by the commission.

     (c)  The commission shall issue a decision to certify or deny certification of a candidate as a comprehensive publicly funded candidate within ten business days following receipt of the candidate's completed application for certification for comprehensive public funds, including verification of the information in subsection (a) by the clerk for the county of Hawaii.

     (d)  After a participating candidate is certified, the candidate's certification shall apply to both the primary and the general election, even if the candidate is unopposed in the primary election.

     (e)  Initial certification by the commission under subsection (c) and all determinations by the commission under this section are final and conclusive, except to the extent they are subject to examination and audit by the commission under section 10(a).

     (f)  The commission shall certify no more than fifteen candidates for comprehensive public funding for each election period based upon the candidates' order of eligibility in qualifying for certification.  For the purposes of this subsection, "election period" has the same meaning as defined in section 11-302, Hawaii Revised Statutes."

     SECTION 2.  Act 244, Session Laws of Hawaii 2008, section 12, is amended by amending subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:

     "(c)  For primary elections subject to this part, the base amount of public funding shall be the average of the amount spent by the winning candidates in the previous two county council primary elections of [the same] every district, reduced by ten per cent.

     (d)  For general elections subject to this part, the base amount of public funding shall be the average of the amount spent by the winning candidates in the previous two county council general elections for [the same] every district, reduced by ten per cent."

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2013-2014 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2014-2015 to ensure the sufficiency of funds to certify participating county of Hawaii council candidates during the next election and provide funding for comprehensive public funding for elections.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the campaign spending commission for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.


 


 

Report Title:

Pilot Program; Hawaii County; Public Funding for Elections

 

Description:

Changes funding formula for the comprehensive public funding pilot project to average the amount of money used by winning candidates in the last two election periods for all county district races.  Limits the number of candidates in the pilot program to fifteen per election period.  Makes an appropriation of an unspecified amount to the Campaign Spending Commission.  (SB381 HD1)

 

 

 

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