HB 1118 Summary

• Amends the definition of "noncandidate committee" in Section 11-302, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to clarify that such committees make or receive contributions and make expenditures to influence elections or ballot questions.

• Requires noncandidate committees making only independent expenditures that receive more than $10,000 in aggregate from non-individual entities to disclose the contributing entity's funding sources or provide an acknowledgment that the entity is not subject to state or federal disclosure requirements.

• Adds new reporting requirement for noncandidate committees to provide a list of donors who contributed more than $5,000 in the aggregate during an election period to Section 501(c)(4) organizations that gave funds to the committee for advertisements or electioneering communications.

• Establishes legislative findings that 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations can spend up to nearly 50% of funds on political activities without disclosure of donors, creating a "dark money" problem that lacks transparency in elections.

• Takes effect on July 1, 2112.