STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2441

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2313

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2313 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC FINANCING FOR CANDIDATES TO ELECTED OFFICE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a comprehensive system of public financing for all candidates seeking election to state and county public offices in the State, to begin with the 2028 general election year;

(2) Require the Campaign Spending Commission to submit reports to the Legislature; and

(3) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Campaign Spending Commission, one member of the Hawaiʻi County Council, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Indivisible Hawaiʻi, HULI PAC, 350Hawaii.org, Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management, Green Party of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action, Kalihi Palama Hawaiian Civic Club, Our Hawaii, and sixty-three individuals.

Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that publicly financed elections promote transparency, equity, and public trust in government. However, the State's existing public financing structures have not kept pace with the realities of modern campaigns and continue to create barriers for candidates who do not have access to wealth or established donor networks. This measure will expand and modernize the State's public financing to support broader participation, increase competitiveness, and ensure that elected officials are accountable to voters rather than major donors.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that the comprehensive system of public financing established by this measure is a comprehensive public funding program for candidates to state and county offices;

(2) Inserting blank appropriation and position amounts; and

(3) Inserting an effective date of March 22, 2075, with an effective date of November 4, 2075, for the statutory framework for the comprehensive public funding program, to encourage further discussion.

Your Committee notes that this measure, as amended, contains unspecified appropriation and position amounts. Should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider inserting the following amounts:

(1) $30,200,000 for deposit into the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund established under section 11-421, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(2) $200,000 to prepare for the comprehensive public funding of candidates in elections taking place in 2028, including the hiring of two full-time equivalent (2.0 FTE) permanent positions.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2313, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2313, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair