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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
370 |
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THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 |
H.D. 2 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
S.D. 1 |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO PARTIAL PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
The purpose of this Act is to:
(1) Increase the amount of funds available to candidates who qualify to participate in the partial public financing program, including candidates for the board of trustees of the office of Hawaiian affairs, who run statewide;
(2) Encourage participation in the partial public financing program by providing for the adjustment of the amount of minimum qualifying contributions required for certain offices;
(3) Increase matching fund payments for excess qualifying contributions; and
(4) Appropriate funds from the general revenues of the State to increase the amount of funds available in the partial public financing program and to permit the campaign spending commission to hire more staff to address the anticipated increase in participation in the financing program.
SECTION 2. Section 11-423, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:
"(d) From January 1 of the year of any primary, special, or general election, the aggregate expenditures for each election by a candidate who voluntarily agrees to limit campaign expenditures, inclusive of all expenditures made or authorized by the candidate alone, all treasurers, the candidate committee, and noncandidate committees on the candidate's behalf, shall not exceed the following amounts expressed, respectively multiplied by the number of voters in the last preceding general election registered to vote in each respective voting district:
(1) For the office of governor--[$2.50;]
$3.00;
(2) For the office of lieutenant governor--[$1.40;]
$1.68;
(3) For the office of mayor--[$2.00;]
$2.40;
(4) For the offices of state senator, state
representative, county council member, and prosecuting attorney--[$1.40;]
$1.68; and
(5) For all other offices--[20] 24
cents."
SECTION 3. Section 11-425, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§11-425 Maximum amount
of public funds available to candidate. (a)
The maximum amount of public funds available in each election to a
candidate for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, [or] state
senator, state representative, mayor, county council member, prosecuting
attorney, or Hawaiian affairs shall not exceed [ten] sixty-seven
per cent of the expenditure limit established in section 11-423(d) for each
election[.]; provided that the candidate shall not receive any public
funds that, when combined with the candidate's qualifying contributions, are in
excess of the expenditure limit.
[(b) The maximum amount of public funds available
in each election to a candidate for the office of state senator, state
representative, county council member, and prosecuting attorney shall not
exceed fifteen per cent of the expenditure limit established in section
11-423(d) for each election.
(c)
For the office of Hawaiian affairs, the
maximum amount of public funds available to a candidate shall not exceed $1,500
in any election year.
(d) For all other offices, the maximum amount of
public funds available to a candidate shall not exceed $100 in any election
year.
(e)] (b) Each candidate who qualified for the maximum
amount of public funding in any primary election and who is a candidate for a
subsequent general election shall apply with the commission to be qualified to
receive the maximum amount of public funds as provided in this section for the
respective general election.
(c) For purposes of this section, "qualified" means meeting the qualifying campaign contribution requirements of section 11-429."
SECTION 4. Section 11-429, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (a) and (b) to read as follows:
"(a) As a condition of receiving public funds for a primary or general election, a candidate shall not be unopposed in any election for which public funds are sought, shall have filed an affidavit with the commission pursuant to section 11‑423 to voluntarily limit the candidate's campaign expenditures, and shall be in receipt of the following sum of qualifying contributions from individual residents of Hawaii:
(1) For the office of governor--qualifying contributions that in the aggregate exceed $100,000;
(2) For the office of lieutenant governor--qualifying contributions that in the aggregate exceed $50,000;
(3) For the office of mayor for each respective county:
(A) County of Honolulu--qualifying contributions that in the aggregate exceed $50,000;
(B) County of Hawaii--qualifying contributions that in the aggregate exceed $15,000;
(C) County of Maui--qualifying contributions that in the aggregate exceed $10,000; and
(D) County of Kauai--qualifying contributions that in the aggregate exceed $5,000;
(4) For the office of prosecuting attorney for each respective county:
(A) County of Honolulu--qualifying
contributions that in the aggregate exceed [$30,000;] $25,000;
(B) County of Hawaii--qualifying
contributions that in the aggregate exceed [$10,000;] $5,000; and
(C) County of Kauai--qualifying
contributions that in the aggregate exceed [$5,000;] $3,000;
(5) For the office of county council--for each respective county:
(A) County of Honolulu--qualifying contributions that in the aggregate exceed $5,000;
(B) County of Hawaii--qualifying contributions that in the aggregate exceed $1,500;
(C) County of Maui--qualifying
contributions that in the aggregate exceed [$5,000;] $4,000; and
(D) County of Kauai--qualifying contributions that in the aggregate exceed $3,000;
(6) For the office of state
senator--qualifying contributions that[,] in the aggregate exceed
$2,500;
(7) For the office of state
representative--qualifying contributions that[,] in the aggregate[,]
exceed $1,500;
(8) For the office of Hawaiian affairs--qualifying contributions that[,] in the
aggregate[,] exceed $1,500; and
(9) For all other offices[,]--qualifying
contributions that[,] in the aggregate[,] exceed $500.
(b) A candidate shall obtain the minimum qualifying contribution amount set forth in subsection (a) once for the election period.
[(1)] If the candidate obtains the minimum
qualifying contribution amount, the candidate [is] shall be
eligible to receive:
[(A)]
(1) The minimum payment in
an amount equal to the minimum qualifying contribution amounts; and
[(B)]
(2) Payments of [$1]
$2 for each $1 of qualifying contributions in excess of the minimum
qualifying contribution amounts[; and].
[(2)] A
candidate shall have at least one other qualified candidate as an opponent for
the primary or general election to receive public funds for that
election."
SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 to be deposited into the Hawaii election campaign fund.
SECTION
6. There
is appropriated out of the Hawaii election campaign fund the sum of $
or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 for
the purposes of this Act.
The
sum appropriated shall be expended by the campaign spending commission
for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 7. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 for full-time equivalent ( FTE) permanent positions to be placed within the campaign spending commission.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the campaign spending commission for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 8. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.
SECTION 9. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 10. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.
Report Title:
Campaign Spending Commission Package; Partial Public Financing; OHA; Maximum Amount of Public Funds Available; Minimum Qualifying Contribution Amounts; Appropriations
Description:
Increases the amount of partial public campaign financing available for all elective offices. Adjusts the minimum amount of qualifying contributions certain candidates must receive to participate in the program. Increases the matching fund payments for excess qualifying contributions. Appropriates funds for the program and staff. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.