Haw. Rev. Stat. § 467B-NEW

Current through the 2024 Legislative Session
Section 467B-NEW - [Newly enacted section not yet numbered] [Effective 1/1/2026] Charitable fundraising platforms; platform charities
(a) Each charitable fundraising platform shall be subject to the department's supervision for activities regulated by this section. Before soliciting, permitting, or otherwise enabling any solicitations for purported charitable purposes, a charitable fundraising platform shall register with the department on a form provided by the department. Registrations under this section shall be subject to an annual report and an annual renewal fee imposed by the department. Fee revenues from this section shall be deposited into the solicitation of funds for charitable purposes special fund.
(b) A platform charity shall be subject to the department's supervision. The platform charity shall register with the department as a platform charity before conducting activities regulated by this section.
(c) Each charitable fundraising platform and platform charity shall file periodic reports with the department on a form provided by the department. Reports shall be filed pursuant to section 467B-12. Each report shall:
(1) Enable the department to ascertain whether charitable funds have been properly solicited, received, held, controlled, or distributed;
(2) Provide information on the number of donations made, amount raised, length of time for distributing donations or grants of recommended donations, fees charged by or through a charitable fundraising platform or platform charity, and names of recipient charitable organizations or other charitable organizations that were sent or have not yet been sent donations or grants of recommended donations; and
(3) Protect from disclosure any personally identifiable information of donors or other users of the charitable fundraising platform.
(d) No platform charity shall facilitate acts of solicitation on a charitable fundraising platform unless the platform charity is in good standing.
(e) A charitable fundraising platform or platform charity shall only solicit, permit, or otherwise enable solicitations, or receive, control, or distribute funds from donations for purported charitable purposes for recipient charitable organizations or other charitable organizations in good standing. To determine good standing of a recipient charitable organization or other charitable organization, a charitable fundraising platform or platform charity may rely on electronic lists periodically published by the Internal Revenue Service, department of taxation, or department.
(f) With respect to purported charitable purposes, a charitable fundraising platform or platform charity that performs, permits, or otherwise enables solicitation activities shall, before a person can complete a donation or select or change a recipient charitable organization, provide conspicuous disclosures that reduce the likelihood of deception, confusion, or misunderstanding, including:
(1) A statement that donations are made to the charitable fundraising platform, platform charity, recipient charitable organization, or person engaging in peer-to-peer charitable fundraising, whichever is applicable;
(2) A statement that a recipient charitable organization may not receive donations or grants or recommended donations, with an explanation identifying the most pertinent reasons under which a recipient charitable organization may not receive the funds; provided that the explanation as to the maximum length of time may be provided through a conspicuous hyperlink, so long as the disclosure is conspicuous when the hyperlink is selected; provided further that this paragraph shall not apply when there are no circumstances under which a recipient charitable organization may not receive the funds;
(3) The maximum length of time it will take to send the donation or a grant of the recommended donation to a recipient charitable organization with an explanation of the time needed, unless the donation is sent contemporaneously to a recipient charitable organization after the donation is made; provided that the explanation as to the maximum length of time may be provided through a conspicuous hyperlink, so long as the disclosure is conspicuous when the hyperlink is selected;
(4) The fees or any other amounts that will be deducted from or added to the donation or a grant of the recommended donation and that are charged or retained by the charitable fundraising platform, platform charity, or any other partnering vendor, other than any applicable digital payment processing fees; and
(5) A statement as to the tax deductibility of the donation.
(g) Each charitable fundraising platform or platform charity that solicits, permits, or otherwise enables solicitations shall obtain the written consent of a recipient charitable organization before using the recipient charitable organization's name in a solicitation for a purported charitable purpose. Written consent shall be provided directly to the charitable fundraising platform or platform charity, or may be provided to a charitable fundraising platform or platform charity by one authorized officer, director, trustee, or other duly authorized representative of the recipient charitable organization and may apply to multiple affiliated charitable fundraising platforms expressly identified in the agreement providing consent.
(h) After a donor contributes donations and with respect to purported charitable purposes, the charitable fundraising platform or platform charity shall promptly provide a tax donation receipt to the donor in a format determined by the department.
(i) The charitable fundraising platform or platform charity shall not divert or otherwise misuse any donations made for purported charitable purposes that the charitable fundraising platform or platform charity receives through solicitation on the charitable fundraising platform, and shall hold the donations in a separate account or accounts from other funds belonging to the charitable fundraising platform or platform charity. The charitable fundraising platform or platform charity shall promptly ensure that donations and grants of recommended donations are sent to the recipient charitable organizations with an accounting of any fees assessed for processing the funds, and in accordance with any rules adopted by the department pursuant to chapter 91. A platform charity shall be vicariously liable for a charitable fundraising platform's misuse of funds, and vice versa.
(j) If a charitable fundraising platform or platform charity enters into any contract with a vendor to solicit, receive, control, process, distribute, and otherwise account for donations on the charitable fundraising platform, the contract shall be available for inspection by the department.
(k) As used in this section, "good standing" means that a platform charity, recipient charitable organization, or other charitable organization's tax-exempt status has not been revoked by the Internal Revenue Service or is not prohibited from soliciting or operating in the state by the department.

HRS § 467B-NEW

Added by L 2024, c 205,§ 1, eff. 1/1/2026.