STAND. COM. REP. NO. 170

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 772

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 772 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to disallow the use of campaign funds to purchase up to two tickets for an event held by another candidate or committee.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Campaign Spending Commission; Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action; Green Party of Hawaiʻi; Free Access Coalition; Chamber of Sustainable Commerce; Our Hawaiʻi; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; and numerous 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. This measure would reduce the appearance of any impropriety since a candidate's campaign funds are likely contributions made to a specific candidate and not intended to be used for other candidates.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; 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 H.B. No. 772, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 772, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair