STAND. COM. REP. NO. 660-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2184

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2184 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Prohibit contributions from persons convicted or found in violation of campaign finance, ethical, or lobbying offenses; and

(2) Require campaign contributions held by individuals convicted or found in violation of campaign finance, ethical, or lobbying offenses to escheat to the Campaign Spending Commission.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Campaign Spending Commission and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee finds that campaign finance integrity is essential to the preservation of the public trust. Yet, existing state law allows individuals who are convicted or found in violation of certain public corruption offenses to maintain control of the funds in their campaign spending accounts and make political contributions during election cycles. This measure strengthens campaign finance integrity by prohibiting contributions from persons convicted or found in violation of campaign finance, ethical, or lobbying offenses.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that contributions remaining in a campaign account within a depository institution on the date that a person is convicted or found in violation are required to be returned to their respective contributors and, if not, to escheat to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund;

(2) Deleting unnecessary provisions with regard to fines and rulemaking authority;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(4) 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 H.B. No. 2184, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2184, 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