Bill > HB771

This bill addresses the influence of Super PACs (Political Action Committees) in Hawaii's electoral process by introducing three main provisions. First, the bill establishes a tiered fee structure for noncandidate committees based on their total expenditures or disbursements in a calendar year, with these fees to be deposited into the Hawaii election campaign fund. Second, it creates a new process for verifying electioneering communications, requiring noncandidate committees to submit proposed communications to the Office of Elections for review by a neutral third-party organization prior to their release, with an opportunity to correct any detected errors. Third, the bill mandates that campaign advertisements include the name and address of the entity paying for the ad in a font size of at least one-half inch, and maintain existing requirements about disclosing candidate approval and prohibiting false voting information. The legislation aims to increase transparency in political spending, prevent misinformation, and provide voters with clearer information about the sources of political advertisements. The bill reflects concerns about the significant impact of Super PACs, which can raise and spend unlimited funds to support or oppose political candidates, while being subject to only minimal restrictions.

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https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=771&year=2026