RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE.

Elections

Active

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

Sponsor: BELATTI, GRANDINETTI, HUSSEY, MATSUMOTO, PERRUSO, PIERICK, REYES ODA, SOUZA
Last action: 2026-03-10
Official status: Referred to JDC, WAM.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide information on enforcement mechanisms or penalties for violations.

Campaign Finance Rules

This bill changes how campaign funds can be used by not allowing candidates to buy up to two tickets for events or fundraisers held by other candidates with their campaign money.

What This Bill Does

Changes the rules about what campaign funds can be spent on.
Doesn't allow a candidate or committee to use campaign money to purchase up to two tickets for an event or fundraiser held by another candidate or committee.

Who It Names or Affects

Candidates and their committees
People who run events or fundraisers for other candidates

Terms To Know

Campaign funds: Money used by a candidate to support their election campaign.
Candidate committee: A group that helps manage and raise money for a candidate's campaign.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if someone breaks this rule.
It is unclear how strictly the new rules will be enforced or monitored.

Amendments

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

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: This amendment changes the rules about how campaign funds can be used by removing the allowance to buy up to two tickets for events held by other candidates or committees.

Campaign funds may no longer be used to purchase up to two tickets for an event or fundraiser hosted by another candidate or committee.

The amendment text does not provide details on how the removal of this specific use will affect other aspects of campaign finance rules.

Bill History

2026-03-10 S
Referred to JDC, WAM.
2026-03-10 S
Passed First Reading.
2026-03-10 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 130).
2026-03-06 H
Passed Third Reading with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Perruso, Quinlan, Sayama excused (3). Transmitted to Senate.
2026-03-06 H
Reported from FIN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1007-26), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2026-03-04 H
The committee on FIN recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 16 Ayes: Representative(s) Todd, Takenouchi, Hartsfield, Hussey, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Kitagawa, Kusch, Lee, M., Miyake, Morikawa, Perruso, Templo, Yamashita, Alcos, Gedeon, Reyes Oda; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and Excused: none.
2026-03-02 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by FIN on Wednesday, 03-04-26 10:00AM in House conference room 308 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-02-05 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Ward excused (2).
2025-02-05 H
Reported from JHA (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 170) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to FIN.
2025-01-28 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; 0 Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Cochran.
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, FIN, referral sheet 2
2025-01-21 H
Introduced and Pass First Reading.
2025-01-17 H
Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE.
Campaign Funds; Permitted Uses
Disallows the use of campaign funds to purchase up to two tickets for an event or fundraiser held by another candidate or committee. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

HB772

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

772

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING
TO CAMPAIGN FINANCE
.

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

����
SECTION
1
.
�
Section 11-381,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as
follows:

����
"
(a)
�
Campaign funds
may be used by a candidate, treasurer, or candidate committee:

����
(1)
�
For any purpose
directly related:

���������
(A)
�
In the case of the
candidate, to the candidate's own campaign; or

���������
(B)
�
In the case of a
candidate committee or treasurer of a candidate committee, to the campaign of
the candidate, question, or issue with which they are directly associated;

����
(2)
�
To purchase or
lease consumer goods, vehicles, equipment, and services that provide a mixed
benefit to the candidate.
�
The candidate,
however, shall reimburse the candidate's candidate committee for the
candidate's personal use of these items unless the personal use is de minimis;

����
(3)
�
To make donations
to any community service, educational, youth, recreational, charitable,
scientific, or literary organization; provided that in any election period, the
total amount of all donations shall be no more than twice the maximum amount
that one person may contribute to that candidate pursuant to section 11-357;
provided further that no donations shall be made from the date the candidate
files nomination papers to the date of the general election unless the
candidate is:

���������
(A)
�
Declared to be
duly and legally elected to the office for which the person is a candidate
pursuant to section 12-41;

���������
(B)
�
Deemed and
declared to be duly and legally elected to the office for which the person is a
candidate pursuant to section 12-42; or

���������
(C)
�
Unsuccessful in
the primary or special primary election;

����
(4)
�
To make donations
to any public school or public library; provided that in any election period,
the total amount of all contributions shall be no more than twice the maximum
amount that one person may contribute to that candidate pursuant to section
11-357; provided further that any donation under this paragraph shall not be
aggregated with or imputed toward any limitation on donations pursuant to
paragraph (3);

����
(5)
�
To award
scholarships to full-time students attending an institution of higher education
or a vocational education school in a program leading to a degree, certificate,
or other recognized educational credential; provided that in any election
period, the total amount of all scholarships awarded shall be no more than
twice the maximum amount that one person may contribute to that candidate
pursuant to section 11-357; provided further that no awards shall be made from
the filing deadline for nomination papers to the date of the general election
unless the candidate is:

���������
(A)
�
Declared to be
duly and legally elected to the office for which the person is a candidate
pursuant to section 12-41;

���������
(B)
�
Deemed and
declared to be duly and legally elected to the office for which the person is a
candidate pursuant to section 12-42; or

���������
(C)
�
Unsuccessful in
the primary or special primary election;

���
[
(6)
�
To purchase not
more than two tickets for each event held by another candidate or committee,
regardless of whether the event constitutes a fundraiser as defined in section
11-342;

����
(7)
]

(6)
�
To make contributions to the
candidate's party so long as the contributions are not earmarked for another
candidate; or

���
[
(8)
]

(7)
�
To pay for ordinary and necessary
expenses incurred in connection with the candidate's duties as a holder of an
office, including expenses incurred for memberships in civic or community
groups."

����
SECTION
2.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 3.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Campaign
Funds; Permitted Uses

Description:

Disallows
the use of campaign funds to purchase up to two tickets for an event or
fundraiser held by another candidate or committee.

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