Report Title:

Campaign Contribution Limits

Description:

Reduces maximum allowable campaign contribution limits by 50%.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

709

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to campaign contribution limits.

 

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

SECTION 1. Section 11-204, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (a), (b), and (c) to read as follows:

"(a) [(1)] No person or any other entity shall make contributions to:

[(A)] (1) A candidate seeking nomination or election to a two-year office or to the candidate's committee in an aggregate amount greater than [$2,000] $1,000 during an election period;

[(B)] (2) A candidate seeking nomination or election to a four-year statewide office or to the candidate's committee in an aggregate amount greater than [$6,000] $3,000 during an election period; and

[(C)] (3) A candidate seeking nomination or election to a four-year nonstatewide office or to the candidate's committee in an aggregate amount greater than [$4,000] $2,000 during an election period.

These limits shall not apply to a loan made to a candidate by a financial institution in the ordinary course of business.

[(2)] For purposes of this section, the length of term of an office shall be the usual length of term of the office as unaffected by reapportionment, a special election to fill a vacancy, or any other factor causing the term of the office the candidate is seeking to be less than the usual length of term of that office.

(b) No person or any other entity shall make contributions to a noncandidate committee, in an aggregate amount greater than [$1,000] $500 in an election period; except 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.

(c) A candidate's immediate family, in making contributions to the candidate's campaign, shall be exempt from the above limitation, but shall be limited in the aggregate to [$50,000] $25,000 in any election period. The aggregate amount of [$50,000] $25,000 shall include any loans made for campaign purposes to the candidate from the candidate's immediate family."

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

"(k) No person or any other entity other than political committees established and maintained by a national political party shall make contributions to a political party in an aggregate amount greater than [$25,000] $12,500 in any two-year election period. No political committee established and maintained by a national political party[,] shall make contributions to a political party in an aggregate amount greater than [$50,000] $25,000 in any two-year election period."

SECTION 3. This Act shall not apply to any contributions made prior to its effective date.

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

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

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