HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	1581
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to elections.

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

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that full financial disclosure by candidates for President and Vice President of the United States is essential to ensure transparency, avoid conflicts of interest, and prevent unethical decision making within a presidential administration.  Without full public disclosure of a candidates past income, business relations, and indebtedness, both monetary and otherwise, a citizen cannot cast an informed vote or be assured that decisions made by a President will be in the interests of the people, and not in the interest of the Presidents own financial gain.

     The office of President of the United States carries the highest responsibility, and its occupants must be held to the highest standard of transparency and accountability.  The legislature finds that to ensure transparency a presidential candidate once demanded that the State of Hawaii produce a birth certificate.  The State of Hawaii will now require presidential candidates to produce their tax returns.

     The purpose of this Act is to promote electoral transparency and accountability by requiring that candidates for President or Vice President of the United States disclose their tax returns from the five most recent years.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 11, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part I to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§11-   Tax returns disclosure; United States President and Vice President. (a)  No later than fifty days before a general election, each candidate for the office of President or Vice President of the United States, shall:

(1) Submit to the office of elections a copy of the federal income tax return, as that term is defined in section 6103(b)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, of the candidate for the five most recent taxable years that a return has been filed with the Internal Revenue Service; and

(2) Provide written consent to the office of elections for the public disclosure of the federal income tax returns.

(b)  Income tax returns submitted to the office of elections shall be made publicly available on the website of the office of elections no later than seven days after submission.

(c)  Prior to placing any income tax return on the website of the office of elections, the chief election officer shall redact information that the director of taxation deems appropriate.

(d)  Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, if a candidate for the office of President or Vice President fails to comply with subsection (a), the name of the candidate shall not be printed upon the official ballot for the general election."

     SECTION 3.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Elections; General Election; President; Vice President; Federal Income Tax Return

Description:

Requires candidates for President and Vice President of the United States to disclose their tax returns in order to have their names appear on a Hawaii ballot.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.