STAND. COM. REP. NO 604

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    S.B. No. 654

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 654 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAMPAIGNS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the provisions relating to anonymous contributions by reducing the threshold amount a candidate may receive from ten or more persons at the same political function from $500 to $100.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Campaign Spending Commission and Common Cause Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure impacts the threshold amount of anonymous contributions from ten or more persons at a fundraiser, which is a limited exception to the rule that generally prohibits anonymous contributions.  A reduction in the threshold amount will result in such contributions being listed in disclosure reports for monetary and non-monetary contributions of $100 or less rather than the Schedule A reports.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 7, 2059, to encourage further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 654, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 654, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

 

 

 

________________________________

GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair