Report Title:

Campaign Spending Law; Clarification

Description:

Clarifies that if a corporation or company uses funds from its own treasury to fund the corporation or company's own noncandidate committee, there is no limit on contributions or expenditures to the corporation or company's noncandidate committee. Establishes an expenditure ceiling for prosecuting attorney candidates who participate in the publicly funded campaign program.

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2922

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to campaign spending.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. In 2005, in an effort to promote transparency in the political campaign contribution process, the legislature enacted Act 203, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, which established sweeping reforms to the State's campaign spending laws. The legislature finds that there is a need to clarify the intent of some of the amendments made under Act 203 to enhance its effectiveness. Specifically, Act 203 restricted the ability of a corporation or company to use funds from its own treasury to fund the corporation or company's noncandidate committee. This Act clarifies that a corporation or company is not limited with regard to contributions or expenditures made to the corporation or company's noncandidate committee. This Act also reestablishes an expenditure ceiling for prosecuting attorney candidates who participate in the publicly funded campaign program.

The purpose of this Act is to clarify the amendments made to the State's campaign spending laws under Act 203, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005.

SECTION 2. Section 11-204, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

"(b) No person or any other entity shall make contributions to a noncandidate committee, in an aggregate amount greater than $1,000 in an election[.]; provided that in the case of a corporation or company using funds from its own treasury, there shall be no limit on contributions or expenditures to the corporation or company noncandidate committee."

SECTION 3. Section 11-209, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

"(a) From January 1 of the year of any primary, special, or general election, the total expenditures for each election for candidates who voluntarily agree to limit their campaign expenditures, inclusive of all expenditures made or authorized by the candidate alone and all campaign treasurers and committees in the candidate's behalf, shall not exceed the following amounts expressed respectively multiplied by the number of voters in the last preceding general election registered to vote in each respective voting district:

(1) For the office of governor--$2.50;

(2) For the office of lieutenant governor--$1.40;

(3) For the office of mayor--$2.00;

(4) For the offices of state senator, state representative, [and] county council member, and prosecuting attorney--$1.40; and

(5) For the offices of the board of education and all other offices--20 cents."

SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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