STAND. COM. REP. NO. 709

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 337

       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 S.B. No. 337 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Provide that a candidate committee shall not be required to file a statement of information for an electioneering communication made by a candidate committee that clearly identifies the communication as being paid for by the candidate committee; and

     (2)  Repeal the requirement that a candidate committee file a statement of information of the names and addresses of all persons who contributed to the committee or the organization for the purpose of publishing or broadcasting the electioneering communications.

     Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Campaign Spending Commission.

     Your Committee finds that this measure increases efficiency in campaign finance reporting requirements.  However, your Committee has concerns regarding whether this measure will reduce transparency in political spending and believes this issue merits further discussion as it moves through the legislative process.  Furthermore, your Committee notes that S.B. No. 309, Regular Session of 2017, contains language amending section 11-341, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and believes these two measures have similar purposes.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting the contents of S.B. No. 309, Regular Session of 2017, which excludes any advertisement by a candidate or candidate committee from the reporting requirements for electioneering communication, provided that the advertisement is in compliance with the law regarding advertisements;

     (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. 337, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 337, 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