2014 Legislature

The Commission would like to inform you of the following campaign finance bills which were passed during the 2014 legislative session and signed into law:

1.  Act 48, SLH 2014 (S.B. 2120)

Governor Neil Abercrombie signed S.B. 2120 into law as Act 48 on April 23, 2014.  Act 48, effective upon approval, amends subsection (b) of HRS §11-359 (Family Contributions) by replacing the reference to HRS §11-355 (Contributions by state and county contractors prohibited) with HRS §11-357 (Contributions to candidates committee; limits), as the exemption for contributions to candidates from immediate family members.  This would conform §11-359 with the law prior to the recodification of Chapter 11 in 2010.

2.  Act 139, SLH 2014 (H.B. 1604 H.D. 2 S.D. 1 C.D. 1)

Governor Neil Abercrombie signed H.B. 1604 H.D. 2 S.D. 1 C.D. 1 into law as Act 139 on June 24, 2014.  Act 139, effective upon approval, amends HRS §11-156 to clarify that certificates of election shall not be delivered to candidates who have not filed disclosure reports with the Commission and further adds the requirement that candidates must have paid all outstanding fines owed to the Commission.

3.  Act 140, SLH 2014 (S.B. 2118 H.D. 1)

Governor Neil Abercrombie signed S.B. 2118 H.D. 1 into law as Act 140 on June 24, 2014.  Act 140, effective upon approval, amends HRS §11-426 by replacing the Chief Elections Officer with the Office of Elections as the entity who must be notified if a candidate who filed an affidavit agreeing to limit expenditures exceeds that expenditure limit.  The requirement that a candidate reports to the office rather than the officer is more practical. Further, the candidate must notify his/her contributors that they have exceeded the expenditure limit.  Also, deletes the reference to a tax deduction for contributions to candidates who file the affidavit because this is no longer available.