STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1627

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 203

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 203, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize 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 presumption that a violation has occurred; and

(2) Provide that the respondent shall have thirty days from the mailing of the complaint to respond before the presumption takes effect.

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

Your Committee finds that this measure implements one of the recommendations made by the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct established by the House of Representatives in House Resolution No. 9, Regular Session of 2022. This measure would allow the Campaign Spending Commission to timely and efficiently address campaign finance violations, which is especially critical in election years.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the Campaign Spending Commission may treat a respondent's failure to explain or otherwise respond to a complaint alleging a violation of campaign spending laws as a rebuttable presumption, rather than as a presumption;

(2) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 203, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 203, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair