CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 5

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 203

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 203, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMPLAINTS ALLEGING VIOLATIONS OF CAMPAIGN SPENDING LAWS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Allow the Campaign Spending Commission to treat a respondent's failure to explain or otherwise respond to a complaint alleging a violation of campaign spending laws as a rebuttable presumption that a violation has occurred; and

(2) Provide the respondent with thirty days from the mailing of the complaint to explain or otherwise respond before the rebuttable presumption takes effect.

Your Committee on Conference finds that the Campaign Spending Commission is required to make repeated attempts to communicate with a respondent regarding a complaint alleging a violation of campaign spending laws before putting the matter on a meeting agenda for action. This measure will save the Campaign Spending Commission time and resources by allowing the Campaign Spending Commission to process complaints in cases where the Campaign Spending Commission has given notice of a complaint to the respondent and the respondent fails to respond.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by making it effective upon its approval.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 203, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 203, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ DAVID A. TARNAS Chair

____________________________ KARL RHOADS Chair