Bill Text: CA AB1418 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: The Political Reform Act of 1974: omnibus bill.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-1)
Status: (Passed) 2013-10-08 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 654, Statutes of 2013. [AB1418 Detail]
Download: California-2013-AB1418-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 1418 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 654
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 8, 2013
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 8, 2013
PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 9, 2013
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY MAY 9, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Committee on Elections and Redistricting (Fong
(Chair), Bocanegra, Bonta, Hall, Logue, and Perea)
MARCH 20, 2013
An act to amend Sections 81008, 83109, and 84102 of the Government
Code, relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1418, Committee on Elections and Redistricting. The Political
Reform Act of 1974: omnibus bill.
(1) Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, requires each
campaign committee, as specified, to file a statement of
organization. For a campaign committee that does not support or
oppose one or more candidates or ballot measures as its primary
activity, the statement of organization must include, among other
things, a brief description of the committee's political activities,
including whether it supports or opposes candidates or measures and
whether such candidates or measures have common characteristics, such
as a political party affiliation.
This bill would change the requirement that a campaign committee
that does not support or oppose one or more candidates or ballot
measures as its primary activity include in the description of the
committee's political activities the common characteristics of
candidates or measures it supports or opposes, such as a political
party affiliation, to instead require that the description of the
committee's political activities include common characteristics of
candidates or measures, such as a political party preference.
(2) The act requires a committee that is controlled by a candidate
for partisan office to provide a statement indicating the political
party with which the candidate is affiliated.
This bill would instead require a committee that is controlled by
a candidate for partisan office or voter-nominated office to provide
a statement indicating the political party for which the candidate
has disclosed a preference.
(3) The act provides that any report or statement filed pursuant
to the act is a public record that must be open for public inspection
and copying, as specified. The act requires that campaign statements
filed pursuant to the act made available on the Internet by the
Secretary of State. The act further requires that the statements be
open for public inspection and reproduction on the Saturday preceding
a statewide primary or statewide general election at specified
locations.
This bill would repeal the requirement that campaign statements be
open for public inspection and reproduction on the Saturday
preceding a statewide primary or statewide general election at the
specified locations.
(4) The act establishes the Fair Political Practices Commission
and authorizes the Commission to appoint officers, counsel, and
employees consistent with applicable civil service laws. The act
provides that a nonclerical position under the Commission shall not
be included in the same class in the civil service classification
plan with any position of any other department or agency.
This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those
provisions.
(5) The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure,
provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's
purposes upon a 2/3 vote of each house and compliance with specified
procedural requirements.
This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 81008 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
81008. Every report and statement filed pursuant to this title is
a public record open for public inspection and reproduction during
regular business hours, commencing as soon as practicable, but in any
event not later than the second business day following the day on
which it was received. No conditions whatsoever shall be imposed upon
persons desiring to inspect or reproduce reports and statements
filed under this title, nor shall any information or identification
be required from these persons. Copies shall be provided at a charge
not to exceed ten cents ($0.10) per page. In addition, the filing
officer may charge a retrieval fee not to exceed five dollars ($5)
per request for copies of reports and statements which are five or
more years old. A request for more than one report or statement or
report and statement at the same time shall be considered a single
request.
SEC. 2. Section 83109 of the Government Code is amended to read:
83109. For purposes of Section 19818.6, a nonclerical position
under the Commission shall not be included in the same class in the
civil service classification plan with any position of any other
department or agency.
SEC. 3. Section 84102 of the Government Code is amended to read:
84102. The statement of organization required by Section 84101
shall include all of the following:
(a) The name, street address, and telephone number, if any, of the
committee. In the case of a sponsored committee, the name of the
committee shall include the name of its sponsor. If a committee has
more than one sponsor, and the sponsors are members of an industry or
other identifiable group, a term identifying that industry or group
shall be included in the name of the committee.
(b) In the case of a sponsored committee, the name, street
address, and telephone number of each sponsor.
(c) The full name, street address, and telephone number, if any,
of the treasurer and any other principal officers.
(1) A committee with more than one principal officer shall
identify its principal officers as follows:
(A) A committee with three or fewer principal officers shall
identify all principal officers.
(B) A committee with more than three principal officers shall
identify no fewer than three principal officers.
(2) If no individual other than the treasurer is a principal
officer, the treasurer shall be identified as both the treasurer and
the principal officer.
(d) The full name and office sought by a candidate, and the title
and ballot number, if any, of any measure, that the committee
supports or opposes as its primary activity. A committee that does
not support or oppose one or more candidates or ballot measures as
its primary activity shall provide a brief description of its
political activities, including whether it supports or opposes
candidates or measures and whether such candidates or measures have
common characteristics, such as a political party preference.
(e) A statement whether the committee is independent or controlled
and, if it is controlled, the name of each candidate or state
measure proponent by which it is controlled, or the name of any
controlled committee with which it acts jointly. If a committee is
controlled by a candidate for partisan or voter-nominated office, the
controlled committee shall indicate the political party, if any, for
which the candidate has disclosed a preference.
(f) For a committee that is a committee by virtue of subdivision
(a) or (b) of Section 82013, the name and address of the financial
institution in which the committee has established an account and the
account number.
(g) Other information as shall be required by the rules or
regulations of the Commission consistent with the purposes and
provisions of this chapter.
SEC. 4. The Legislature finds and declares that this bill furthers
the purposes of the Political Reform Act of 1974 within the meaning
of subdivision (a) of Section 81012 of the Government Code.
