STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2006

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2031

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.B. No. 2031 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 clarify that increased fines may apply if a noncandidate committee fails to timely file a second preliminary general report.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Campaign Spending Commission and Common Cause Hawaii.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

     Your Committee finds that noncandidate committees are required to file a second preliminary general report on October 1 of each general election year, in addition to a preliminary general report that is required to be filed ten days prior to a general election.  However, under existing law, a noncandidate committee that fails to timely file a preliminary general report, rather than a second preliminary general report, is subject to increased fines.  Implementation of this measure clarifies that increased fines are applicable if a noncandidate committee fails to timely file a second preliminary general report, rather than a preliminary general report, in alignment with the increased fines for a candidate committee's failure to timely file a second preliminary primary report.

     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. 2031 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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