HB765 amends Hawaii’s campaign finance law governing contributions by state and county contractors. The bill expands the existing contractor contribution ban by expressly covering not only the contractor itself, but also the contractor’s officers, senior employees, consultants, and immediate family members. Under the measure, these covered persons would be prohibited from making contributions to candidate committees or noncandidate committees during the life of the government contract, and contractors would also remain barred from making contributions or soliciting contributions for political purposes during that period.
The bill also adds a remedial provision requiring any candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee that receives an unlawful contribution to return it within 30 days. If the contribution is not returned in that time, it would escheat to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund. The bill clarifies the meaning of “completion of the contract” to include full performance or termination, with no unresolved disputes remaining and all claims finally adjudicated. It takes effect upon approval and applies prospectively, without affecting matured rights, penalties, or proceedings already underway.
Impact
HB765 would broaden the scope of Hawaii Revised Statutes section 11-355 by extending campaign contribution restrictions to a contractor’s officers, senior employees, consultants, and immediate family members, in addition to the contractor itself. This would affect state and county contractors doing business with the State or counties where payment is funded in whole or in part by legislative appropriations, as well as candidates, candidate committees, and noncandidate committees that might receive prohibited donations. The bill also creates a mandatory return-and-escheat mechanism for unlawful contributions, strengthening enforcement and directing unreturned funds to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the bill is procedural and anti-corruption in nature, with an overall neutral-to-supportive posture typical of campaign finance restriction measures. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the materials supplied. The bill’s referral to Judiciary and Finance committees indicates it was treated as a legal and fiscal election-law measure.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the breadth of the prohibition: HB765 would reach beyond contractors themselves to include officers, senior employees, consultants, and immediate family members, which could be viewed as necessary to prevent circumvention but also as an expansion of political speech restrictions. Another possible issue is the 30-day return requirement and automatic escheat to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund, which imposes a strict compliance obligation on recipients of contributions. No specific opponents or supporters are identified in the provided record, and no committee testimony is available to show whether these provisions were disputed.