STAND. COM. REP. NO. 805

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 724

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 724 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to amend the prohibition against contributions to a candidate committee or noncandidate committee by state and county contractors to include state and county grantees and the owners, officers, and immediate family members of a state or county contractor or grantee.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Campaign Spending Commission, Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct, Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Pono Hawaii Initiative, and seven individuals.

Your Committee finds that this measure implements one of the recommendations made by the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct established by the House of Representatives in House Resolution No. 9, Regular Session of 2022. Under existing campaign finance law, only a state or county contractor is prohibited from making campaign contributions. The law does not prohibit the owners, officers, or family members of the contractor from making contributions. Nor does the law prohibit state grantees from making campaign contributions even though these entities receive funds appropriated by the Legislature, similar to state or county contractors.

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 H.B. No. 724 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair