Report Title:

Campaign Spending Law

Description:

Clarifies that a noncandidate committee shall be subject to the same limitations on contributions to candidates as any person or other entity. Provides that a "person" other than an individual may make a one-time unlimited transfer in a two-year election period of funds from its own treasury to fund the person's own noncandidate committee. Establishes an expenditure ceiling for prosecuting attorney candidates who participate in the public funded campaign program. Effective date January 1, 2096. (SB2922 HD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2922

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

H.D. 1

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to campaign spending.

 

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) and (b) to read as follows:

"(a)(1) No person or any other entity, including a noncandidate committee, shall make contributions to:

(A) 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 during an election period;

(B) 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 during an election period; and

(C) 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 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] $2,000 in an election [.] period; provided that a person other than an individual, using funds from its own treasury, may make a one-time transfer during a two-year election period of an unlimited amount of money into its own noncandidate committee."

SECTION 2. 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 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2096.