STAND. COM. REP. NO 597

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 202

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 202 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the reporting requirements of noncandidate committees to include an identification of a ballot issue being advocated for or against.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from three individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of the Attorney General and Campaign Spending Commission.

     Your Committee finds that this measure adds an additional level of disclosure to the campaign finance laws to assist voters to "follow the money" and allow voters to determine the individuals, organizations, or businesses seeking to influence their votes.

     Your Committee notes the recent heightened public interest in various ballot issues and the organizations that expend substantial sums of money in active support of or opposition to these ballot issues.  It is the intent of your Committee to strengthen public confidence in the elections process with respect to ballot issues by creating the explicit additional level of disclosure proposed in this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adopting language suggested by the Department of the Attorney General that amends the definition of "electioneering communications" to include that such communications refer to a clearly identifiable ballot issue;

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of January 7, 2059, to encourage further discussion; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 202, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 202, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

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GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair