HB1190 revises Hawaii campaign finance law to tighten how candidates and candidate committees may use leftover campaign funds and how long those funds may remain available. The bill keeps the existing list of permitted uses for campaign money—such as campaign-related expenses, mixed-use items with reimbursement for personal use, donations to certain nonprofits and public schools/libraries, scholarships, tickets to candidate events, party contributions, and ordinary officeholder expenses—but it removes the broad ability to carry funds forward indefinitely for future elections. Instead, campaign funds may still be used for a candidate’s next subsequent election only after the candidate registers for that election.
The bill also shortens and standardizes the deadline for disposing of residual campaign funds after an election or after a candidate stops running. Depending on the circumstance, unused funds must be returned to contributors or escheat to the Hawaii election campaign fund within a set period tied to the length of the office’s term, rather than under the prior longer carryover periods. It further directs the Campaign Spending Commission to adopt rules and maintain a campaign funds escheatment subaccount, from which the commission must make reasonable efforts to return escheated money to contributors before any remaining balance lapses to the state campaign fund.
Impact
HB1190 would amend sections 11-381, 11-384, and 11-421 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. Its main legal effect is to eliminate the prior long-term carryover of campaign funds to future elections and replace it with a more limited, registration-based rule, while imposing earlier deadlines for returning or escheating unused campaign money. It also strengthens the state’s control over residual campaign funds by requiring transfer to the campaign funds escheatment subaccount and directing the Campaign Spending Commission to attempt contributor refunds before any remaining funds support the Hawaii election campaign fund, including partially publicly financed campaigns.
Sentiment
The bill appears generally reform-oriented and administrative in tone, with the stated purpose of improving the disposition of unused campaign funds and reducing indefinite retention of campaign accounts. The available materials do not show recorded committee debate or votes, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or support in the transcript record provided. Based on the bill description, the likely sentiment is favorable toward greater accountability and faster cleanup of campaign accounts, especially from a campaign-finance oversight perspective.
Contention
The most likely point of contention is the bill’s repeal of the ability to carry campaign funds forward for subsequent elections over a long period, which could be viewed by candidates and committees as reducing flexibility in fundraising and planning. Another possible issue is the mandatory escheatment timeline, which may be seen as burdensome for candidates who want to preserve funds for future races or who need more time to resolve post-election finances. The requirement that the Campaign Spending Commission make reasonable efforts to return escheated funds to contributors may also raise administrative questions about implementation and cost, though no specific objections are documented in the provided record.
Relating to the regulation of campaign treasurer appointments and related matters and the content of and posting of information contained in a campaign treasurer appointment; providing a civil penalty.