REPORT TITLE:
Campaign Financing


DESCRIPTION:
Prohibits certain elected officials from receiving any
contributions during the period in which the legislature is in a
regular session.  Also prohibits certain elected officials from
holding any fundraisers or engaging in any fundraising activities
during the period in which the legislature is in a regular
session.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.579        
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO ELECTION CAMPAIGNS.



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

 1      SECTION 1.  Section 11-200, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended to read as follows:
 
 3      "�11-200  Campaign contributions; restrictions against
 
 4 transfer.(a)  A candidate, campaign treasurer, or candidate's
 
 5 committee shall not receive any contributions or receive or make
 
 6 any transfer of money or anything of value:
 
 7      (1)  For any purpose other than that directly related:
 
 8           (A)  In the case of the candidate, to the candidate's
 
 9                own campaign; or
 
10           (B)  In the case of a campaign treasurer or candidate's
 
11                committee, to the campaign of the candidate,
 
12                question, or issue with which they are directly
 
13                associated; [or]
 
14      (2)  To support the campaigns of candidates other than the
 
15           candidate, for whom the funds were collected or with
 
16           whom the campaign treasurer or candidate's committee is
 
17           directly associated; or
 
18      (3)  To campaign against any other candidate not directly
 
19           opposing the candidate for whom the funds were
 

 
Page 2                                                     
                                     H.B. NO.579        
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1           collected or with whom the campaign treasurer or
 
 2           candidate's committee is directly associated.
 
 3 Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, a
 
 4 candidate, campaign treasurer, or candidate's committee, as a
 
 5 contribution, may purchase from its campaign fund not more than
 
 6 two tickets for each event held by another candidate, committee,
 
 7 or party whether or not the event constitutes a fundraiser as
 
 8 defined in section 11-203.
 
 9      (b)  With the exception of an elected state official who has
 
10 a deficit as set forth in section 11-203(b), an elected state
 
11 official shall not receive any contributions during the period
 
12 from thirty days prior to the start of a regular session of the
 
13 legislature until thirty days after that session is adjourned
 
14 sine die.
 
15      [(b)] (c)  This section shall not be construed to prohibit a
 
16 party from supporting more than one candidate.
 
17      [(c)] (d)  This section shall not be construed to prohibit a
 
18 candidate for the office of governor or lieutenant governor from
 
19 supporting a co-candidate in the general election.
 
20      [(d)] (e)  This section shall not be construed to prohibit a
 
21 candidate from making contributions to the candidate's party so
 
22 long as that contribution is not earmarked for another
 
23 candidate."
 

 
Page 3                                                     
                                     H.B. NO.579        
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 2.  Section 11-203, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 2 amended to read as follows:
 
 3      "�11-203  Fundraisers and fundraising activities.(a)  As
 
 4 used in this section, "fundraiser" means any function held for
 
 5 the benefit of a person that is intended or designed, directly or
 
 6 indirectly, to raise funds for political purposes for which the
 
 7 price or suggested contribution for attending the function is
 
 8 more than $25 per person.
 
 9      (b)  There shall be no more than two fundraisers held for a
 
10 person prior to a general or special election in which that
 
11 person is either elected or defeated.
 
12      Within six months after a general or special election,
 
13 however, a candidate or committee directly associated with a
 
14 candidate who has a deficit may hold an additional fundraiser.
 
15      (c)  No fundraiser or fundraising activity shall be held
 
16 unless a notice of intent to hold the function is filed by the
 
17 person in charge of the function with the commission prior to the
 
18 date of the function setting forth the name and address of the
 
19 person in charge, the price per person, the date, hour, and place
 
20 of the affair and the method thereof.
 
21      (d)  Fundraisers sponsored by a candidate for a statewide
 
22 office are exempt from the $25 limit of subsection (a) and the
 
23 restrictions of subsection (b), and fundraisers sponsored by a
 

 
Page 4                                                     
                                     H.B. NO.579        
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 party for a political purpose for the general benefit of the
 
 2 party are exempt from the restrictions of subsection (b).
 
 3      (e)  The following expenses incident to a fundraiser and to
 
 4 all other political fundraising activities held for the benefit
 
 5 of a candidate shall not be considered expenditures within the
 
 6 limitations set by section 11-209:
 
 7      (1)  The cost of food and beverages consumed at the
 
 8           function;
 
 9      (2)  Rent and utilities for the premises where the function
 
10           is held;
 
11      (3)  The amount paid for guest speakers and entertainment;
 
12      (4)  Printing and postage related to a function; and
 
13      (5)  All other direct costs incurred in solicitation of the
 
14           fundraiser, or fundraising activity.
 
15      (f)  With the exception of an elected state official who has
 
16 a deficit as set forth in subsection (b), any elected state
 
17 official shall not hold any fundraisers or engage in any
 
18 fundraising activities during the period from thirty days prior
 
19 to the start of a regular session of the legislature until thirty
 
20 days after that session is adjourned sine die."
 
21      SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
22 New statutory material is underscored.
 

 
 
 
Page 5                                                     
                                     H.B. NO.579        
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
 2 
 
 3                           INTRODUCED BY:_________________________