HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2174

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN SPENDING.

 

 

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


 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the State has a duty to the residents of Hawaii to ensure that information concerning campaign contributions and expenditures is readily available to and easily accessible by the public.  Disclosure is now more important than ever to the election process in light of the dramatic changes in policy regarding corporate contributions as reflected in the recent decision of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 130 S. Ct. 876 (2010).

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to increase transparency in campaign spending and accessibility to information on campaign contributions and expenditures.

     SECTION 2.  Section 11-302, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

     ""Entity" means a partnership, a candidate committee or noncandidate committee, a party, an association, a corporation, a business entity, an organization, or a labor union and its auxiliary committees."

     SECTION 3.  Section 11-314, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[11-314[]]  Duties of the commission.  The duties of the commission under this part are to:

     (1)  Develop and adopt forms required by this part;

     (2)  Adopt and publish a manual for all candidates, candidate committees, and noncandidate committees, describing the requirements of this part, including uniform and simple methods of recordkeeping;

     (3)  Preserve all reports required by this part for at least ten years from the date of receipt by the commission;

     (4)  Permit the inspection, copying, or [duplicating] duplication of any report required by this part pursuant to rules adopted by the commission under chapter 91; provided that this paragraph shall not apply to the sale or use of information under section 11-344;

     (5)  Ascertain whether any [candidate, candidate committee, noncandidate committee, or party] person has failed to file a report required by this part or has filed a substantially defective or deficient report.  The commission shall notify these persons by first class mail that a fine may be assessed for the failure to file or the filing of a substantially defective or deficient report, and the defective or deficient report shall be corrected and explained.  All fines collected under this section, as authorized by section 11-410, shall be deposited in the general fund of the State;

     (6)  Hold public hearings;

     (7)  Investigate and hold hearings for receiving evidence of any violations pursuant to subpart I of this part;

     (8)  Adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91;

     (9)  Request the initiation of prosecution for the violation of this part pursuant to section 11-411;

    (10)  Administer and monitor the distribution of public funds under this part;

    (11)  Suggest accounting methods for candidates, candidate committees, or noncandidate committees in connection with reports and records required by this part;

    (12)  Employ or contract with, without regard to chapters 76, 78, and 89, persons it finds necessary for the performance of its functions, including a full-time executive director, and to fix their compensation; provided that the commission shall have the authority, at its discretion, to dismiss persons employed by or contracted with the commission;

    (13)  Conduct random audits and field investigations, as necessary; and

    (14)  File for injunctive relief when indicated."

     SECTION 4.  Section 11-331, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§11-331  Filing of reports, generally.  (a)  Every report required to be filed by a candidate or candidate committee shall be certified as complete and accurate by the candidate and treasurer.

     (b)  Every report required to be filed by a noncandidate committee shall be certified as complete and accurate by the chairperson and treasurer.

     (c)  Every report required to be filed by an individual or entity shall be certified as complete and accurate by that individual or entity.

    [(c)] (d)  All reports required to be filed under this part shall be filed on the commission's electronic filing system.

    [(d)] (e)  For purposes of this part, whenever a report is required to be filed with the commission, "filed" means that a report shall be filed with the commission's electronic filing system by the date and time specified for the filing of the report by:

     (1)  The candidate or candidate committee of a candidate who is seeking election to the:

         (A)  Office of governor;

         (B)  Office of lieutenant governor;

         (C)  Office of mayor;

         (D)  Office of prosecuting attorney;

         (E)  County council;

         (F)  Senate;

         (G)  House of representatives; or

         (H)  Office of Hawaiian affairs; [or]

     (2)  A noncandidate committee required to be registered with the commission pursuant to section 11-323[.]; or

     (3)  An entity.

    [(e)] (f)  To be timely filed, a committee's reports shall be filed with the commission's electronic filing system on or before 11:59 p.m. Hawaiian standard time on the filing date specified.

    [(f)] (g)  All reports filed under this part are public records[.], and shall be made available for public inspection on the commission's website in a searchable database.

     (h)  For the purposes of this part, "searchable database" shall mean an online database that allows a person to, among other things:

     (1)  Search any report required under this part by any identifying element required in the reports;

     (2)  Ascertain through a single search the total amount of contributions or expenditures for a person, party, candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee for the applicable reporting period or election period; and

     (3)  Download reports and data maintained in the database."

     SECTION 5.  Section 11-335, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[11-335[]]  Noncandidate committee reports.  (a)  The authorized person in the case of a party, or treasurer in the case of a noncandidate committee that is not a party, shall file preliminary, final, and supplemental reports that disclose the following information:

     (1)  The noncandidate committee's name and address;

     (2)  The cash on hand at the beginning of the reporting period and election period;

     (3)  The reporting period and election period aggregate totals for each of the following categories:

         (A)  Contributions[;] received;

         (B)  Contributions made;

        [(B)] (C)  Expenditures; and

        [(C)] (D)  Other receipts;

     (4)  The cash on hand at the end of the reporting period; and

     (5)  The surplus or deficit at the end of the reporting period.

     (b)  Schedules filed with the reports shall include the following additional information:

     (1)  The amount and date of deposit of each contribution received and the name, address, occupation, and employer of each contributor making a contribution aggregating more than $100 during an election period, which was not previously reported; provided that if all the information is not on file, the contribution shall be returned to the contributor within thirty days of deposit;

     (2)  The amount and date of each contribution made, and the name and address of the candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee to which the contribution was made; and

    [(2)] (3)  All expenditures, including the name and address of each payee and the amount, date, and purpose of each expenditure[.]; provided that:

         (A)  Expenditures for advertisements or electioneering communication shall include the names, if known, of the candidates identified or to be identified;

         (B)  Expenditures for consultants, advertising agencies and similar firms, credit card payments, salaries, and candidate reimbursements shall be itemized to permit a reasonable person to determine the ultimate intended recipient of the expenditure and its purpose; and

         (C)  Independent expenditures shall include the name of any candidate referenced;

     (4)  For noncandidate committees making independent expenditures only, certification that no expenditures have been coordinated with a candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee, or any agent of a candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee; 

    [(3)] (5)  The amount, date of deposit, and description of other receipts and the name and address of the source of each of the other receipts;

     (6)  A description of each durable asset, the date of acquisition, value at the time of acquisition, and the name and address of the vendor or contributor of the asset; and

     (7)  The date of disposition of a durable asset, value at the time of disposition, method of disposition, and name and address of the person receiving the asset.

     (c)  No loan may be made or received by a noncandidate committee.

     (d)  The authorized person in the case of a party, or treasurer in the case of a noncandidate committee that is not a party, shall file a late contribution report as provided in section 11-338 if the committee receives late contributions from any person aggregating more than $500 or makes late contributions aggregating more than $500.

     (e)  For the purposes of this section, "electioneering communication" shall have the same meaning as in section 11-341."

     SECTION 6.  Section 11-337, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[11-337[]]  Reporting expenditures.  (a)  For purposes of this part, an expenditure is deemed to be made or incurred when the services are rendered or the product is delivered.  Services rendered or products delivered for use during a reporting period are deemed delivered or rendered during the period or periods of use; provided that these expenditures shall be reasonably allocated between periods in accordance with the time the services or products are actually used.

     (b)  Any expenditure that is contracted or paid for and that is to be rendered during the last three days of an election period shall also be included in a late expenditure report."

     SECTION 7.  Section 11-338, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[11-338[]]  Late contributions; late expenditures; report.  (a)  The candidate, authorized person in the case of a noncandidate committee that is a party, or treasurer in the case of a candidate committee or other noncandidate committee, that, within the period of fourteen calendar days through four calendar days prior to any election, makes contributions aggregating more than $500, or receives contributions from any person aggregating more than $500, shall file a late contribution report by means of the commission's electronic filing system on or before the third calendar day prior to the election.

     (b)  The late contribution report shall include the following information:

     (1)  Name, address, occupation, and employer of the contributor;

     (2)  Name of the candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee making or receiving the contribution;

     (3)  The amount of the contribution[;] received;

     (4)  The amount of the contribution made;

    [(4)] (5)  The contributor's aggregate contributions to the candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee; and

    [(5)] (6)  The purpose, if any, to which the contribution will be applied[.], including, for contributions to a noncandidate committee, the name of any candidate referenced.

     (c)  An entity other than a candidate or candidate committee that, within the period of fourteen calendar days through four calendar days prior to any election, makes contributions or independent expenditures, in an aggregate amount of more than $500, shall file a late report by means of the commission's electronic filing system on or before the third calendar day prior to the election.  The report shall disclose the following information:

     (1)  The amount, date, and recipient of each contribution made to a candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee;

     (2)  The vendor name, address, and contact information for each expenditure;

     (3)  The amount and date of each expenditure; and

     (4)  The purpose of each expenditure, including the name of any candidate referenced directly or indirectly by the expenditure.   

     [(c)] (d)  A late contribution report filed pursuant to this section shall be in addition to any other report required to be filed by this part."

     SECTION 8.  Section 11-340, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

     "(a)  True and accurate reports shall be filed with the commission on or before the due dates specified in this part.  The commission may assess a fine against a [candidate committee or noncandidate committee] person that is required to file a report under this part if the report is not filed by the due date or if the report is substantially defective or deficient, as determined by the commission."

     SECTION 9.  Section 11-341, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[11-341[]]  Electioneering communications; statement of information.  (a)  Each person who makes [a disbursement] an expenditure for electioneering communications in an aggregate amount of more than $2,000 during any calendar year shall file with the commission a statement of information within twenty-four hours of each disclosure date provided in this section.

     (b)  Each statement of information shall contain the following:

     (1)  The name of the person making the [disbursement,] expenditure, name of any person or entity sharing or exercising discretion or control over [such] the person, and the custodian of the books and accounts of the person making the [disbursement;] expenditure;

     (2)  If the expenditure was made by an entity, the names and titles of the executives or board of directors who authorized the expenditure;

    [(2)] (3)  The state of incorporation or formation and principal [place of business] address of the entity or, for an individual, the name, address, occupation, and employer of the [person] individual making the [disbursement;] expenditure;

    [(3)] (4)  The amount of each [disbursement] expenditure during the period covered by the statement and the identification of the person to whom the disbursement was made;

    [(4)] (5)  The elections to which the electioneering communications pertain and the ballot issue or names[, if known, of the] of any candidates [identified or to be identified;] referenced;

    [(5)] (6)  If the [disbursements] expenditures were made by a candidate committee or noncandidate committee, the names and addresses of all persons who contributed to the candidate committee or noncandidate committee for the purpose of publishing or broadcasting the electioneering communications;

    [(6)] (7)  If the [disbursements] expenditures were made by an [organization] entity other than a candidate committee or noncandidate committee, the names and addresses of all persons who contributed to the [organization] entity for the purpose of publishing or broadcasting the electioneering communications; and

    [(7)] (8)  Whether or not any electioneering communication is made in coordination, cooperation, or concert with or at the request or suggestion of any candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee, or agent of any candidate if any, and if so, the identification of the candidate, [a] candidate committee, or [a] noncandidate committee, or agent involved.

     (c)  An electioneering communication report filed pursuant to this section shall be in addition to any other report required to be filed pursuant to this part.  

    [(c)] (d)  For purposes of this section:

     "Disclosure date" means, for every calendar year, the first date by which a person has made [disbursements] expenditures during that same year of more than $2,000 in the aggregate for electioneering communications, and the date of any subsequent [disbursements] expenditures by that person for electioneering communications.

"Electioneering communication" means any advertisement that is broadcast from a cable, satellite, television, or radio broadcast station; published in any periodical or newspaper; or sent by mail at a bulk rate, and that:

     (1)  Refers to a clearly identifiable candidate;

     (2)  Is made, or scheduled to be made, either within thirty days prior to a primary or initial special election or within sixty days prior to a general or special election; and

     (3)  Is not susceptible to any reasonable interpretation other than as an appeal to vote for or against a specific candidate.

     "Electioneering communication" shall not include communications:

     (1)  In a news story or editorial disseminated by any broadcast station or publisher of periodicals or newspapers, unless the facilities are owned or controlled by a candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee;

     (2)  That constitute expenditures by the disbursing organization;

     (3)  In house bulletins; or

     (4)  That constitute a candidate debate or forum, or solely promote a debate or forum and are made by or on behalf of the person sponsoring the debate or forum.

    [(d)] (e)  For purposes of this section, a person shall be treated as having made [a disbursement] an expenditure if the person has executed a contract to make [the disbursement.] the expenditure."

     SECTION 10.  Section 11-391, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[11-391[]]  Advertisements.  (a)  Any advertisement that is broadcasted, televised, circulated, or published, including by electronic means, shall contain:

     (1)  The name and address of the candidate, candidate committee, noncandidate committee, or other person paying for the advertisement; and

     (2)  A notice in a prominent location stating either that:

         (A)  The advertisement [is published, broadcast, televised, or circulated with] has the approval and authority of the candidate; provided that an advertisement paid for by a candidate, candidate committee, or ballot issue committee does not need to include the notice; or

         (B)  The advertisement [is published, broadcast, televised, or circulated without the approval and authority of] has not been approved by the candidate.

     (b)  If the advertisement is paid for by a person other than a candidate or candidate committee, the advertisement shall also contain an additional notice in a prominent location immediately after or below the notices required under subsection (a).  This notice shall include the following words, as the case may be:

     (1)  "The top donors for this advertisement are", to be followed by the names of the contributors that have made the five greatest aggregate contributions for the purposes of the advertisement; or

     (2)  "The top donors for this entity are", to be followed by the names of the contributors that have made the five greatest aggregate contributions during the election cycle. 

    [(b)] (c)  The fine for violation of this section, if assessed by the commission, shall not exceed $25 for each advertisement that lacks the information required by this section, and shall not exceed an aggregate amount of $5,000."

     SECTION 11.  Section 11-332, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is repealed.

     ["11-332]  Filing report by corporations.   (a)  A corporation shall file a report with the commission for contributions from its own treasury that aggregate more than $1,000 per two year election period made directly to a candidate or candidate committee; provided that this section shall not authorize contributions to a candidate or candidate committee where otherwise prohibited by this part.  The reporting shall be made pursuant to the time requirements contained in section 11-336 and section 11-338.

     (b)   The filing shall include the name of the corporation, business address, a contact individual, and amounts contributed that are more than $100 to each candidate or candidate committee."]

     SECTION 12.  The campaign spending commission shall enhance its website to make all reports required by part XIII of chapter 11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, available to the public by a searchable database as defined in section 11-331(h), Hawaii Revised Statutes, within three hundred sixty days of the effective date of this Act. 

     SECTION 13.  The campaign spending commission shall adopt, amend, or repeal rules, pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to ensure proper disclosure of contributions and expenditures consistent with part XIII of chapter 11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and shall prescribe the methods and requirements for a "person", as defined in section 11-302, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to include both noncandidate committees and corporations, to file a statement of information for each disbursement for electioneering communications in an aggregate amount of $2,000 or more during any calendar year pursuant to section 11-341, Hawaii Revised Statutes, within three hundred sixty days of the effective date of this Act. 

SECTION 14.  The executive director of the campaign spending commission shall promptly notify the legislature in writing upon the adoption, amendment, or repeal of administrative rules ensuring proper disclosure of contributions and expenditures consistent with part XIII of chapter 11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and prescribing the methods and requirements for a "person", as defined in section 11-302, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to include both noncandidate committees and corporations, to file a statement of information for each disbursement for electioneering communications in an aggregate amount of $2,000 or more during any calendar year pursuant to section 11-341, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  The executive director of the campaign spending commission shall also provide statewide public notice of the adoption, amendment, or repeal of rules pursuant to section 1-28.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     SECTION 15.  If any provision of this Act, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the Act that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this Act are severable.

     SECTION 16.  This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.

     SECTION 17.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 18.  This Act shall take effect on January 7, 2059.


 


 

Report Title:

Campaign Finance; Expenditures; Electioneering Communications; Reporting

 

Description:

Requires the Campaign Spending Commission to maintain public records in a searchable database.  Adds a definition for "entity".  Amends reporting requirements for persons and entities.  Authorizes the Commission to monitor and penalize all persons failing to report campaign spending.  Mandates that the Commission implement rules for campaign spending consistent with campaign spending laws within 360 days of the effective date of this Act.  Effective January 7, 2059.  (HB2174 HD1)

 

 

 

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