STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3015

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2044

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2044 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO VIOLATIONS OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAW,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to deter noncandidate committees from violating the campaign finance law.

Specifically, the measure:

(1) Increases from $1,000 to $5,000 the fine that may be assessed for campaign spending law violations against a noncandidate committee that makes only independent expenditures and that has received at least one contribution of more than $10,000, or spent more than $10,000 in an election period; and

(2) Authorizes the Campaign Spending Commission to impose upon the noncandidate committee a fine of up to three times the amount of an unlawful contribution or expenditure, and order that the fine, or any portion thereof, be paid from the personal funds of an officer of the noncandidate committee.

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

Your Committee finds that increased fines for campaign finance violations by noncandidate committees are necessary to deter violations by political action committees that make only independent expenditures.

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. 2044 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair