STAND. COM. REP. NO. 757

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 627

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 627 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend campaign finance law by:

(1) Establishing that a photograph of a person used in a campaign shall be reported as an in-kind contribution to the candidate or noncandidate committee;

(2) Imposing a fine on a committee that uses a photograph in a campaign without the person's authorization;

(3) Classifying any independent expenditure as a contribution to either a candidate or to each opposing candidate; and

(4) Requiring any advertisement by a noncandidate committee that makes only independent expenditures to disclose all contributors for the advertisement.

Common Cause Hawaii supported this measure. An individual opposed this measure. The Campaign Spending Commission and Department of the Attorney General provided comments.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Removing the provisions that established that a photograph of a person used in a campaign shall be reported as an in-kind contribution to the respective candidate or noncandidate committee;

(2) Removing the provisions that imposed a fine on a committee that uses a photograph in a campaign without the photographed person's authorization;

(3) Removing the hardship exclusion of short duration radio or television advertisements from identifying contributors to noncandidate committees making only independent expenditures;

(4) Requiring the Campaign Spending Commission to:

(A) Notify candidates when an independent expenditure is made; and

(B) Publish the reports of independent expenditures and all contributors to noncandidate committees on its website;

(5) Including a severability clause; and

(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 627, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 627, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

____________________________

CHRIS LEE, Chair