HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

29

TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the department of the attorney general to identify and analyze permissible and unlawful methods of fundraising for charitable organizations.

 

 


     WHEREAS, charitable organizations provide important social services and valuable resources to persons in need, including services and resources that the State may otherwise be required to provide; and

 

     WHEREAS, charitable organizations often lack adequate funding to function effectively and to provide the services requested of them; and

 

     WHEREAS, conducting raffles is a very common method of fundraising for charitable organizations; and

 

     WHEREAS, current state law prohibits raffles if money is charged for the raffle tickets, similar to a lottery; and

 

WHEREAS, some charitable organizations believe that the law does not prohibit raffles if the tickets are distributed at no charge after participants pay an entrance fee or ticket fee to a fundraising event; and

 

     WHEREAS, there are conflicting opinions about whether certain fundraising activities for charitable organizations are considered unlawful; and

 

     WHEREAS, an analysis is needed to clarify what types of fundraising activities are permissible in the State; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2013, that the Attorney General is requested to identify and analyze various fundraising methods of charitable organizations, including raffles, and make a determination on which fundraising methods are permissible and which methods may constitute unlawful gambling; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of the Attorney General is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2014; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Attorney General.

Report Title: 

Charitable Organization Fundraising Activities; Office of the Attorney General Report