Bill > SB345

This bill updates Hawaii's partial public campaign financing program to increase funding and participation, primarily by adjusting the maximum amount of public funds available to candidates for various offices and modifying the minimum qualifying contribution requirements. The bill increases the percentage of expenditure limits that candidates can receive in public funds for offices like governor, state legislators, mayors, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees, replacing the previous fixed dollar amounts with a percentage of the expenditure limit. It also adjusts the minimum qualifying contribution amounts for different offices, generally lowering the thresholds for some county-level positions like prosecuting attorneys and county councils, while raising the threshold for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs from $1,500 to $5,500. Additionally, the bill increases the matching fund rate from $1 to $2 for each dollar of qualifying contributions above the minimum amount. The legislation includes appropriations from general revenues to support the Hawaii election campaign fund and allows the Campaign Spending Commission to hire additional staff to manage the anticipated increase in program participation. These changes aim to modernize the public financing system by accounting for inflation and encouraging broader candidate participation in the program.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=345&year=2026