Bill Text: HI HB726 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Campaign Contributions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed) 2023-12-11 - Carried over to 2024 Regular Session. [HB726 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2024-HB726-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
726 |
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THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2023 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the house of representatives adopted House Resolution No. 9 (2022) to establish the commission to improve standards of conduct. The resolution requests the commission ensure state laws and rules relating to standards of conduct of public officers and employees contain clear standards, enforcement, and penalties and provide recommendations to increase awareness of, compliance with, and deterrent effects of the code of ethics, lobbying laws, campaign finance laws, and other relevant laws and rules.
Pursuant to House Resolution No. 9, the commission to improve standards of conduct convened regularly throughout 2022 to diligently review, discuss, and consider the issues presented, submitted an interim report to the house of representatives outlining areas of immediate and long-term focus, then continued its work with input from the public and invited individuals and agencies to issue a final report with various recommendations and accompanying proposed legislation.
The legislature also finds that the strength and stability of our democratic government rely upon the public's trust in government institutions, including the expectation that officers act ethically with prudence, integrity, and sound judgement. Therefore, an essential goal of the commission was to provide recommendations that would help restore public trust in state government and increase the level of transparency in its operations and accountability of individuals.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to implement recommendations of the commission to improve standards of conduct relating to the solicitation and acceptance of campaign contributions by prohibiting state and county elected officials from soliciting and accepting campaign contributions during any regular session or special session of the state legislature.
SECTION 2. Section 11-357, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"[[]§11-357[]] Contributions to candidate committees; limits[.];
contributions to elected officials; when prohibited. (a) No
person shall make contributions to:
(1) A candidate seeking nomination or election to a two-year office or to a candidate committee in an aggregate amount greater than $2,000 during an election period;
(2) A candidate seeking nomination or election to a four-year nonstatewide office or to a candidate committee in an aggregate amount greater than $4,000 during an election period; or
(3) A candidate seeking nomination or election to a four-year statewide office or to a candidate committee in an aggregate amount greater than $6,000 during an election period.
(b) For purposes of this section, the length of term of an office shall be the usual length of term of the office as unaffected by reapportionment, a special election to fill a vacancy, or any other factor causing the term of the office the candidate is seeking to be less than the usual length of term of that office.
(c) During any regular session or special session of the state legislature, including any extension of any regular session or special session and any legislative recess days, holidays, and weekends, no elected official as defined in section 11-342(d) shall solicit or accept campaign contributions from any person."
SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct; Campaign Contributions; State Elected Officials; County Elected Officials; Legislative Sessions; Prohibition
Description:
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 and any legislative recess days, holidays, and weekends.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
