HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

THE THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2025

 

COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY & HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS

Rep. David A. Tarnas, Chair

Rep. Mahina Poepoe, Vice Chair

 

Rep. Della Au Belatti

Rep. Gregg Takayama

Rep. Elle Cochran

Rep. Chris Todd

Rep. Mark J. Hashem

Rep. Diamond Garcia

Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa

Rep. Garner M. Shimizu

Rep. Amy A. Perruso

 

 

 

NOTICE OF HEARING

 

DATE:

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

TIME:

2:00 p.m.

PLACE:

VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE

Conference Room 325

State Capitol

415 South Beretania Street

 

 

 

Click here to submit testimony and to testify remotely or in person.

 

A live stream link of all House Standing Committee meetings will be available online

shortly before the scheduled start time.

 

Click here for the live stream of this meeting via YouTube.

 

 

 

A G E N D A

 

HB 131

Status

RELATING TO RESEARCH.

Allows agencies to disclose government records to researchers for certain research purposes.

 

JHA

HB 411

Status

RELATING TO ETHICS ADMINISTRATIVE FINES.

Establishes uniform provisions for the assessment of administrative penalties under the State Ethics Code and Lobbyist Law.

 

JHA

HB 412

Status

RELATING TO LOBBYING.

Establishes certain presumptions regarding testimony when provided by a lobbyist.  Makes certain contracts voidable when entered into in violation of the state lobbying law.  Expands the definition of "lobbying" in the state lobbying law to include certain communications with high-level government officials regarding procurement decisions.

 

JHA

HB 413

Status

RELATING TO LOBBYIST CONTRIBUTIONS.

Clarifies administrative oversight of statutory restrictions relating to prohibited lobbyist contributions.  Clarifies that the regular or special sessions in which lobbyist contributions are prohibited are periods during which both houses of the legislature are in session.

 

JHA

HB 149

Status

RELATING TO CORPORATIONS.

Requires domestic and foreign corporations to provide their shareholders with reports of independent expenditures and political contributions.

 

JHA

HB 369

Status

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.

Amends section 11-364, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to provide that an excess contribution of more than $100 in cash, in the aggregate, from a single person during an election period to a candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee shall escheat to the Hawaii election campaign fund if not returned to the contributor within 30 days.

 

JHA

HB 370

Status

RELATING TO PARTIAL PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTIONS.

Increases the amount of partial public campaign financing available for all state and county elective offices.  Amends section 11-425, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), by increasing the maximum amount of public funds available for each election for candidates (1) for Mayor of the County of Kauai and the County of Maui by 125%; (2) for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs from $1,500 to 10% of the expenditure limit established in section 11-423(d), HRS; and (3) for candidates for all other offices by 50%.  Amends section 11-429(a), HRS, by increasing the amounts of qualifying contributions for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs from more than $1,500 in the aggregate to more than $5,000 in the aggregate.  Provides a downward adjustment of the amounts of qualifying contributions for the Office of Prosecuting Attorney for the City and County of Honolulu, County of Hawaii, and County of Kauai and for the Office of County Council for the County of Maui.  Provides for an unspecified appropriation to pay for the increase in the partial public financing program.  Provides for an appropriation in the amount of $200,000 for the Commission to hire 2 additional staff members.

 

JHA, FIN

HB 371

Status

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.

Prohibits state or county grantees, officers and immediate family members of state or county contractors, and officers and immediate family members of state or county grantees from contributing to candidate or noncandidate committees for the duration of the contract.  Requires candidates, candidate committees, or noncandidate committees to return any unlawful contribution to the contributor within 30 calendar days of receipt.  Provides that if any unlawful contribution is not returned to the contributor within 30 calendar days, the unlawful contribution shall escheat to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund.

 

JHA

HB 372

Status

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.

Prohibits state and county elected officials from soliciting and accepting campaign contributions during any regular session or special session of the state legislature, including any extension of any regular session or special session or any legislative recess day, holiday, or weekend.

 

JHA

HB 772

Status

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE.

Disallows the use of campaign funds to purchase up to two tickets for an event or fundraiser held by another candidate or committee.

 

JHA, FIN

HB 662

Status

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE.

Repeals the exemption for the expenditure of candidate's own funds under the definition of contribution.  Makes contributions by the candidate's immediate family subject to contribution limits.  Amends the loan amount that a candidate or candidate committee may receive from the candidate's own funds or immediate family.

 

JHA, FIN

HB 134

Status

RELATING TO ELECTIONS.

Requires the Chief Election Officer to provide a system for the electronic filing of nomination papers.  Effective 1/1/2026.

 

JHA, FIN

HB 408

Status

RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION.

Extends the deadline to register to vote by mail from 30 to 10 days prior to a primary or general election.  Repeals obsolete language regarding permanent absentee ballots.

 

JHA

HB 141

Status

RELATING TO THE ELECTIONS COMMISSION.

Makes the members of the Elections Commission subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.

 

JHA

 

 

 

 

DECISION MAKING TO FOLLOW

 

Persons wishing to offer comments should submit testimony at least 24 hours prior to the hearing.  Testimony received after this time will be stamped late and left to the discretion of the chair to consider.  While every effort will be made to incorporate all testimony received, materials received on the day of the hearing or improperly identified or directed, may not be processed.

 

Testimony submitted will be placed on the legislative website.  This public posting of testimony on the website should be considered when including personal information in your testimony.

 

The chair may institute a per-testifier time limit.

 

Committees meeting in the morning must adjourn prior to the day's Floor Session.  Therefore, due to time constraints, not all testifiers may be provided an opportunity to offer verbal comments.  However, written submissions will be considered by the committee.

 

Please refrain from profanity or uncivil behavior.  Violations may result in ejection from the hearing without the ability to rejoin.

 

For remote testifiers, the House will not be responsible for bad connections on the testifier's end.

 

For general help navigating the committee hearing process, please contact the Public Access Room at (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov.

 

The livestream and/or cable TV broadcast of this meeting will include closed captioning.  If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation (including oral, written, or ASL interpretive services) or are unable to submit testimony via the website due to a disability, please contact the committee clerk at (808) 586-6325. Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.

 

Click here for a complete list of House Guidelines for remote testimony.

 

FOR AMENDED NOTICES:  Measures that have been deleted are stricken through and measures that have been added are bolded.

 

For more information, please contact the Committee Clerk at (808) 586-6325.

 

 

 

 

 

________________________________________

Rep. David A. Tarnas

Chair