STAND. COM. REP. NO.  326

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 201

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 201 entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to encourage transparency in the election process by amending Hawaii campaign finance laws to, among other things:

 

     (1)  Define the term "matching payment period";

 

     (2)  Add the treasurer to those whom the Campaign Spending Commission monitors for compliance with reporting requirements;

 

     (3)  Make "housekeeping" revisions that neither enlarge nor curtail the duties of the Campaign Spending Commission;

 

     (4)  Require that the January supplemental reports for candidate and noncandidate committees be filed annually;

 

     (5)  Expand the reporting requirements for noncandidate committees to include contributions made and identification of the candidate supported or opposed by the expenditure;

 

     (6)  Establish a deadline for the filing of the voluntary expenditure limits affidavit; and

 

     (7)  Increase the amount of allowable expenditures made by a partially publicly financed candidate for the office of prosecuting attorney.

 

     The Campaign Spending Commission, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Common Cause Hawaii, and Americans for Democratic Action/Hawaii supported this bill.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Correcting a statutory reference within the provision relating to the filing of required reports by registered noncandidate committees; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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. 201, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 201, 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