HB371 • 2026

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.

Elections

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: NAKAMURA (Introduced by request of another party)
Last action: 2026-04-02
Official status: Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on enforcement mechanisms or penalties for violations, leaving these aspects uncertain.

Campaign Contribution Rules

This bill stops state or county contractors, grantees, their officers, and immediate family members from making political donations during the contract period.

What This Bill Does

Prohibits state or county contractors, grantees, their officers, and immediate family members from contributing to candidate committees or noncandidate committees for the duration of the contract.
Requires any unlawful contributions to be returned within thirty days; otherwise, it goes to Hawaii's election campaign fund.

Who It Names or Affects

State and county contractors
Grantees
Officers of state or county contractors and grantees
Immediate family members of state or county contractors and grantees

Terms To Know

Contractors: People or companies that have agreements with the state or counties to provide services or goods.
Grantees: Organizations receiving financial support from the government for specific projects or programs.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if someone breaks these rules.
It is unclear how this will be enforced and monitored.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: The amendment prohibits state and county contractors, grantees, their officers, and immediate family members from making political contributions during the duration of their contracts or grants.

Expands the definition of 'immediate family' to include spouses and reciprocal beneficiaries.
Prohibits contractors and grantees, as well as their officers and immediate family members, from making political contributions while under contract or grant with state or county entities.

The amendment text is incomplete and ends abruptly, so some details are unclear.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: The amendment changes the definition of 'immediate family' for campaign contribution rules in Hawaii, expanding it to include reciprocal beneficiaries.

Expands the definition of 'immediate family' to include a candidate's spouse or reciprocal beneficiary and their immediate relatives.
Adds provisions requiring state or county contractors and grantees to provide lists of officers and immediate adult family members for compliance with campaign contribution rules.

The amendment text is complex, and some parts are unclear without additional context about how 'reciprocal beneficiary' fits into the overall legal framework.
Some sections of the amendment are bracketed or incomplete, making it difficult to fully understand all changes intended.

Bill History

2026-04-02 S
Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
2026-04-01 H
House Conferee(s) discharged.
2026-03-20 H
Received notice of all Senate conferees being discharged (Sen. Com. No. 409).
2026-03-20 S
Senate Conferee(s) discharged.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-04-25 H
Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday, 04-25-25 at 5:30PM in Conference Room 325.
2025-04-24 H
Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday 04-25-25 2:15PM in conference room 325.
2025-04-23 H
Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Thursday 04-24-25 2:15PM in conference room 325.
2025-04-23 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 800).
2025-04-22 H
Bill scheduled for Conference Committee Meeting on Wednesday, 04-23-25 2:10PM in conference room 325.
2025-04-22 H
House Conferees Appointed: Tarnas, Kitagawa Co-Chairs; Poepoe, Garcia.
2025-04-22 H
Re-referred to JHA, FIN, referral sheet 35
2025-04-15 H
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 790).
2025-04-15 S
Senate Conferees Appointed: Rhoads Chair; Hashimoto Co-Chair; Fevella.
2025-04-10 S
Received notice of disagreement (Hse. Com. No. 621).
2025-04-08 H
House disagrees with Senate amendment (s).
2025-04-04 H
Returned from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 572) in amended form (SD 1).
2025-04-04 S
Report Adopted; Passed Third Reading. Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) San Buenaventura. Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2025-04-03 S
One Day Notice 04-04-25.
2025-04-03 S
Reported from WAM (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1648) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading.
2025-04-01 S
The committee(s) on WAM recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes in WAM were as follows: 11 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Moriwaki, Aquino, Elefante, Hashimoto, Inouye, Kanuha, Kidani, Kim, Lee, C., Wakai; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) DeCoite, Fevella.
2025-03-27 S
The committee(s) on WAM will hold a public decision making on 04-01-25 10:01AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.
2025-03-21 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM.
2025-03-21 S
Reported from JDC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1274) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.
2025-03-18 S
The committee(s) on JDC recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in JDC were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Chang, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) San Buenaventura ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Gabbard.
2025-03-12 S
The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 03-18-25 9:45AM; Conference Room 016 & Videoconference.
2025-03-06 S
Referred to JDC, WAM.
2025-03-06 S
Passed First Reading.
2025-03-06 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 219).
2025-03-04 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Pierick, Ward excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-02-27 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Pierick, Templo, Ward excused (4).
2025-02-27 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 822) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
2025-02-05 H
The committee on JHA recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 10 Ayes: Representative(s) Tarnas, Poepoe, Belatti, Hashem, Kahaloa, Perruso, Takayama, Todd, Garcia, Shimizu; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.
2025-01-31 H
Bill scheduled for decision making on Wednesday, 02-05-25 2:00PM in conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-28 H
The committee(s) on JHA recommend(s) that the measure be deferred until 02-05-25.
2025-01-23 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Tuesday, 01-28-25 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-01-21 H
Referred to JHA, referral sheet 1
2025-01-17 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-16 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.
CSC; State or County Contractors; State or County Grantees; Officers; Immediate Family Members; Prohibited Contributions
Prohibits state or county grantees and officers and immediate family members of state or county contractors or grantees from contributing to candidate or noncandidate committees, candidates, or any person for any political purpose for the duration of the contract. Requires any unlawful contribution to be returned to the contributor or it will escheat to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund. Requires disclosures of the names of any officers and immediate adult family members of a state or county contractor or grantee for contracts exceeding a certain amount. Effective 7/1/3000. (SD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB371

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

371

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating
to Campaign Contributions
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section 11-355, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:

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"
[
[
]�
11-355[
]
]
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Contributions by state [
and
]
or
county contractors
,
state or county grantees, officers or immediate family members of state or
county contractors, officers or immediate family members of state or county
grantees;
prohibited.
�
(a)
�
It shall be unlawful for any person who
enters into any contract with the State, any of the counties, or any department
or agency thereof either for the rendition of personal services, the buying of
property, or furnishing of any material, supplies, or equipment to the State,
any of the counties, any department or agency thereof, or for selling any land
or building to the State, any of the counties, or any department or agency
thereof, if payment for the performance of the contract or payment for
material, supplies, equipment, land, property, or building is to be made in
whole or in part from funds appropriated by the legislative body, at any time
between the execution of the contract through the completion of the contract,
to:

����
(1)
�
Directly
or indirectly make any contribution, or promise expressly or impliedly to make
any contribution to any candidate committee or noncandidate committee, or to
any candidate or to any person for any political purpose or use; or

����
(2)
�
Knowingly
solicit any contribution from any person for any purpose during any period.

����
(b)
�

It shall be unlawful for any officer or immediate family member of any
state or county contractor under subsection (a), at any time between the
execution of the contract through the completion of the contract pursuant to
subsection (a), to directly or indirectly make any contribution to any
candidate committee or noncandidate committee.

����
(c)
�

It shall be unlawful for any person who receives a grant or subsidy from
the state pursuant to chapter 42F, or from a county pursuant to a county
charter or code, at any time between the execution of the contract through the
completion of the contract for the grant or subsidy to:

����
(1)
�
Directly
or indirectly make any contribution, or promise expressly or impliedly to make
any contribution to any candidate committee or noncandidate committee, or to
any candidate or to any person for any political purpose or use; or

����
(2)
�
Knowingly
solicit any contribution from any person for any purpose during any period.

����
(d)
�

It shall be unlawful for any officer or immediate family member of a
state or county grantee under subsection (c), at any time between the execution
of the contract through the completion of the contract for the grant or subsidy
pursuant to subsection (c), to directly or indirectly make any contribution to
any candidate committee or noncandidate committee.

����
(e)
�

Any candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee receiving
a contribution made unlawful by this section shall return the unlawful
contribution to the contributor within thirty calendar days of receipt.
�
If any unlawful contribution is not returned
to the contributor within thirty calendar days of receipt, the unlawful
contribution shall escheat to the Hawaii election campaign fund.

����
[
(b)
]
(f)
�
Except as provided in subsection (a), this
section does not prohibit or make unlawful the establishment or administration
of, or the solicitation of contributions to, any noncandidate committee by any
person other than the state or county contractor for the purpose of influencing
the nomination for election, or the election of any person to office.

����
[
(c)
]
(g)
�
For purposes of this section, "completion
of the contract" means that the parties to the government contract have
either terminated the contract prior to completion of performance or fully
performed the duties and obligations under the contract, no disputes relating
to the performance and payment remain under the contract, and all disputed
claims have been adjudicated and are final."

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 11-364, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

����
"(a)
�

Any candidate, candidate committee, or noncandidate committee that
receives in the aggregate more than the applicable contribution limit in
section 11-357, 11-358, 11-359, or 11-360 shall return any excess contribution
to the contributor within thirty
calendar
days of receipt of the excess
contribution.
�
Any candidate, candidate
committee, or noncandidate committee that receives in the aggregate more than
the applicable contribution limit in section 11-362 shall return any excess
contribution to the contributor within thirty
calendar
days of the end
of the election period; provided that the candidate, candidate committee, or
noncandidate committee may choose which contributions to return.
�
Any excess contribution not returned to the
contributor within thirty
calendar
days shall escheat to the Hawaii
election campaign fund."

����
SECTION 3.
�

This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that
were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.

����
SECTION 4.
�

Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory material is underscored.

����
SECTION 5.
�

This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Campaign
Spending Commission; State or County Contractors; State or County Grantees;
Officers; Immediate Family Members; Prohibited Contributions

Description:

Prohibits
state or county grantees, officers and immediate family members of state or
county contractors, and officers and immediate family members of state or
county grantees from contributing to candidate or noncandidate committees for
the duration of the contract.
�
Requires
candidates, candidate committees, or noncandidate committees to return any
unlawful contribution to the contributor within 30 calendar days of
receipt.
�
Provides that if any unlawful
contribution is not returned to the contributor within 30 calendar days, the
unlawful contribution shall escheat to the Hawaii Election Campaign Fund.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.