STAND. COM. REP. NO.  529

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

RE:   H.B. No. 443

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 443 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to prevent corruption or the appearance of corruption in state government by prohibiting a lobbyist, principal of a lobbyist, client of a lobbyist, agent of a lobbyist, or a political action committee on which a lobbyist sits that lobbies the Legislature from making contributions to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or a member of the Legislature while the Legislature is convened in regular or special session.

One individual testified in support of this measure.  The Department of the Attorney General, Hawaii State Ethics Commission, and Campaign Spending Commission provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Reassigning jurisdiction over prohibited contributions made by a registered lobbyist to specified politicians during the regular or special session to the Campaign Spending Commission;

     (2)  Limiting these provisions to registered lobbyists, and defining that term to mean a lobbyist required by law to register with the State Ethics Commission; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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 H.B. No. 443, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 443, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair