STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2005

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2029

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2029 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Increase the amounts of fines that may be assessed against any person other than an individual, rather than only a corporation, organization, association, or labor union, for campaign spending violations;

     (2)  Allow the Campaign Spending Commission to recover costs incurred from violators including but not limited to the cost of investigative services; and

     (3)  Direct monies collected for costs recovered by the Campaign Spending Commission to be deposited in the Hawaii election campaign fund.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Campaign Spending Commission, Common Cause Hawaii, and League of Women Voters.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

     Your Committee finds that the Campaign Spending Commission, funded by various sources including but not limited to the depleted Hawaii election campaign fund, enforces the State's campaign finance laws, including the assessment of fines for campaign spending violations.  Increasing campaign spending violation fines and allowing the Campaign Spending Commission to recover costs incurred from violators enables the Commission to maintain adequate funding and continue to deter potential violators, including political action committees that make only independent expenditures.  Implementation of this measure promotes the integrity and transparency of the campaign finance process and ensures the continued enforcement of the State's campaign finance laws.

     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. 2029 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair