Report Title:

Campaign Contributions; Fundraisers

Description:

Prohibits elective officers in elected state office from receiving contributions and holding fundraisers or engaging in fundraising activity during the period in which the legislature is in regular session.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

567

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO fundraisers and FUNDRAISING activities.

 

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

SECTION 1. Section 11-200, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§11-200 Campaign contributions; restrictions against transfer. (a) A candidate, campaign treasurer, or candidate's committee shall not receive any contributions or receive or make any transfer of money or anything of value:

(1) For any purpose other than that directly related:

(A) In the case of the candidate, to the candidate's own campaign; or

(B) In the case of a campaign treasurer or candidate's committee, to the campaign of the candidate, question, or issue with which they are directly associated; or

(2) To support the campaigns of candidates other than the candidate for whom the funds were collected or with whom the campaign treasurer or candidate's committee is directly associated; or

(3) To campaign against any other candidate not directly opposing the candidate for whom the funds were collected or with whom the campaign treasurer or candidate's committee is directly associated.

(b) Any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, a candidate, campaign treasurer, or candidate's committee, as a contribution:

(1) May purchase from its campaign fund not more than two tickets for each event held by another candidate, committee, or party whether or not the event constitutes a fundraiser as defined in section 11-203;

(2) May use campaign funds for any ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with the candidate's duties as a holder of an elected state or county office, as the term is used in section 11-206(c); and

(3) May make contributions from its campaign fund to any community service, educational, youth, recreational, charitable, scientific, or literary organization[,]; provided that in any election cycle, the total amount of all contributions from campaign funds and surplus funds shall be no more than the maximum amount that one person or other entity may contribute to that candidate pursuant to section 11-204(a).

(c) An elective officer in an elected state office shall not receive any contributions during the period in which the legislature is in regular session; provided that within six months after a general, special general, or special election, a candidate who has a deficit, or that candidate's committee, may hold an additional fundraiser pursuant to section 11-203.

[(c)] (d) This section shall not be construed to prohibit a party from supporting more than one candidate.

[(d)] (e) This section shall not be construed to prohibit a candidate for the office of governor or lieutenant governor from supporting a co-candidate in the general election.

[(e)] (f) This section shall not be construed to prohibit a candidate from making contributions to the candidate's party so long as that contribution is not earmarked for another candidate."

SECTION 2. Section 11-203, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§11-203 Fundraisers and fundraising activities. (a) As used in this section, "fundraiser" means any function held for the benefit of a person that is intended or designed, directly or indirectly, to raise funds for political purposes for which the price or suggested contribution for attending the function is more than $25 per person.

(b) There shall be no more than two fundraisers held for a person prior to a general or special election in which that person is either elected or defeated[.]; provided that a candidate who has a deficit, or that candidate's committee, may hold an additional fundraiser within six months after a general, special general, or special election.

(c) No fundraiser or fundraising activity shall be held unless a notice of intent to hold the function is filed by the person in charge of the function with the commission, prior to the date of the function, setting forth the name and address of the person in charge, the price per person, the date, hour, and place of the affair, and the method thereof.

(d) Fundraisers sponsored by a candidate for a statewide office are exempt from the $25 limit of subsection (a) and the restrictions of subsection (b), and fundraisers sponsored by a party for a political purpose for the general benefit of the party are exempt from the restrictions of subsection (b).

(e) Except as provided in subsection (b), any elective officer in an elected state office shall not hold any fundraiser or engage in any fundraising activity during the period in which the legislature is in regular session."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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