STAND. COM. REP. NO. 690

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 441

       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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 441, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONEERING COMMUNICATIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase transparency in the electioneering communication disclosure process.

     Specifically, the purpose of this measure is to:

(1)  Require that electioneering disclosure statements be made within twenty-four hours after an electioneering communication, instead of within twenty-four hours of when payment for the communication is made;

(2)  Expand the definition of electioneering communication to include all advertisements sent by mail, instead of only those sent at the bulk mailing rate; and

(3)  Remove the exemption of communications that constitute expenditures from the definition of electioneering communication.

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

     Your Committee finds that the time period between when an electioneering communication is made to the public and when it is paid for can vary greatly.  Your Committee further finds that requiring electioneering disclosure statements to be filed within twenty-four hours of when the electioneering communication is publicly distributed, rather than when the communication is paid for, will establish consistency and promote transparency in the election process.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 441, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

________________________________

JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair