STAND. COM. REP. NO.  705

 

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 Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 201, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to improve the campaign finance law.

 

     Specifically, the measure improves the State's campaign finance law by:

 

     (1)  Requiring candidate committees and noncandidate committees to file the January supplemental reports annually, rather than after an election year;

 

     (2)  Requiring that noncandidate committee reports:

 

          (A)  Distinguish between contributions made and received;

 

          (B)  Specify the amount, date, and recipient of each contribution made; and

 

          (C)  Identify the candidate supported or opposed by an independent expenditure; and

 

     (3)  With regard to the partial public financing program for election candidates:

 

          (A)  Establishing a filing deadline for the voluntary campaign expenditure limits affidavit; and

 

          (B)  Increasing the amount of allowable expenditures made by a candidate for the office of prosecuting attorney.

 

     This measure also corrects statutory references and makes other housekeeping amendments.

 

     The Campaign Spending Commission and the League of Women Voters of Hawaii testified in support of this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure will enhance regulation of campaign spending by aligning statutory provisions with present practice, increasing transparency in spending reports, improving the implementation of the partial public financing program for election candidates, and correcting statutory references.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 201, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair