STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1910-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 665

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 665, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Make intentionally providing false information concerning the name or address of a person paying for a campaign advertisement a class C felony;

(2) Authorize criminal prosecution for campaign finance law violations in addition to administrative fines;

(3) Increase from four years to ten years the period during which a person convicted for a criminal violation of campaign finance law is disqualified from holding elective office; and

(4) Authorize the Attorney General or prosecuting attorney to commence prosecution for campaign finance law violations.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Campaign Spending Commission, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from Common Cause Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that this measure will promote greater accountability within the election system by increasing the penalties for, and removing barriers to criminal prosecution of, campaign finance law violations.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the interaction between certain provisions regarding criminal prosecutions under the campaign finance laws and the new class C felony offense for intentionally providing false information concerning the name or address of a person paying for a campaign advertisement; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 665, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 665, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair