STAND. COM. REP. NO. 979

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 281

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 281, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE FAILURE TO FILE A REPORT WITH THE CAMPAIGN SPENDING COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Campaign Spending Commission to publish on its website the names of all noncandidate committees, in addition to the names of all candidate committees, that have failed to file a report or correct a report within a certain time permitted by the Commission.

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

     Your Committee finds that existing law requires the Campaign Spending Commission to publish on its website the names of all candidate committees that have failed to file a report or correct a report.  This measure codifies within that law the publishing of the names of noncandidate committees to increase transparency and allow the public access to that information.  Your Committee notes that a more definitive time frame for a candidate or noncandidate committee to correct a report is necessary.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that candidate and noncandidate committees have two weeks from the notice to correct a report, rather than within the time allowed by the Campaign Spending Commission, before the Commission publishes the names of the candidate and noncandidate committees on its website; and

     (2)  Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment 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 H.B. No. 281, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 281, H.D. 1, 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