Bill Text: CA AB236 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Campaign disclosure: limited liability companies.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Failed) 2022-02-01 - Died on inactive file. [AB236 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AB236-Introduced.html
entity, entity other than a limited liability company, an individual, or a federal candidate’s authorized committee, as defined in Section 431 of Title 2 of the United States Code, that is registered and filing reports pursuant to the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (Public Law 92-225).
Bill Title: Campaign disclosure: limited liability companies.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Failed) 2022-02-01 - Died on inactive file. [AB236 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AB236-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 236
| Introduced by Assembly Member Berman |
January 13, 2021 |
An act to amend Section 84222 of, and to add Section 84211.5 to, the Government Code, relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 236, as introduced, Berman.
Campaign contributions: limited liability companies.
The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including requiring elected officials, candidates for elective office, and committees to file periodic campaign statements. The act requires that these campaign statements contain prescribed information related to campaign contributions and expenditures of the filing entities. A violation of the act is a misdemeanor.
This bill would require a committee to include within a campaign statement the name of each individual who owns or controls, or controls the contributions or expenditures of, a limited liability company or foreign limited liability company from which the committee received a campaign contribution.
The act requires multipurpose organizations meeting specified criteria to comply with the
registration and campaign reporting requirements of the act, including the disclosure of information relating to the organization’s donors.
This bill would make a limited liability company a multipurpose organization for these purposes.
Because a violation of the requirements of the bill would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
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 of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements.
This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
Digest Key
Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the LLC Dark Money Ban.SEC. 2.
Section 84211.5 is added to the Government Code, to read:84211.5.
If a committee receives a contribution from a limited liability company or foreign limited liability company, as defined in the California Revised Uniform Limited Liability Company Act (Title 2.6 (commencing with Section 17701.01) of the Corporations Code), the committee shall include both of the following within the campaign statement covering the time period in which the contribution was received:(a) The name of each individual who owns or controls the company.
(b) The name of each individual who controls the contributions or expenditures of the company.
SEC. 3.
Section 84222 of the Government Code is amended to read:84222.
(a) For purposes of this title, “multipurpose organization” means an organization described in Sections 501(c)(3) to 501(c)(10), inclusive, of the Internal Revenue Code and that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, a federal or out-of-state political organization, a trade association, a professional association, a civic organization, a religious organization, a fraternal society, an educational institution, a limited liability company as defined in Section 17701.02 of the Corporations Code, or any other association or group of persons acting in concert, that is operating for purposes other than making contributions or expenditures. “Multipurpose organization” does not include a business(b) A multipurpose organization that makes expenditures or contributions and does not qualify as a committee pursuant to subdivision (c) may qualify as an independent expenditure committee or major donor committee if the multipurpose organization satisfies
subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 82013.
(c) Except as provided in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (5), a multipurpose organization is a recipient committee within the meaning of subdivision (a) of Section 82013 only under one or more of the following circumstances:
(1) The multipurpose organization is a political committee registered with the Federal Election Commission, except as provided in subdivision (a) of this section, or a political committee registered with another state, and the multipurpose organization makes contributions or expenditures in this state in an amount equal to or greater than the amount identified in subdivision (a) of Section 82013.
(2) The multipurpose organization solicits and receives payments from donors in an amount equal to or greater than the amount identified in subdivision (a) of
Section 82013 for the purpose of making contributions or expenditures.
(3) The multipurpose organization accepts payments from donors in an amount equal to or greater than the amount identified in subdivision (a) of Section 82013 subject to a condition, agreement, or understanding with the donor that all or a portion of the payments may be used for making contributions or expenditures.
(4) The multipurpose organization has existing funds from a donor and a subsequent agreement or understanding is reached with the donor that all or a portion of the funds may be used for making contributions or expenditures in an amount equal to or greater than the amount identified in subdivision (a) of Section 82013. The date of the subsequent agreement or understanding is deemed to be the date of receipt of the payment.
(5) The
multipurpose organization makes contributions or expenditures totaling more than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in a period of 12 months or more than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) in a period of four consecutive calendar years.
(A) A multipurpose organization shall not qualify as a committee within the meaning of subdivision (a) of Section 82013 pursuant to this paragraph if the multipurpose organization makes contributions or expenditures using only available nondonor funds. A multipurpose organization that makes contributions or expenditures with nondonor funds shall briefly describe the source of the funds used on its major donor or independent expenditure report.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, “nondonor funds” means investment income, including capital gains, or income earned from providing goods, services, or facilities, whether related or unrelated to the
multipurpose organization’s program, sale of assets, or other receipts that are not donations.
(d) A multipurpose organization that is a committee pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) shall comply with the registration and reporting requirements of this chapter, subject to the following:
(1) The multipurpose organization is not required to comply with subdivision (k) of Section 84211 for contributions and expenditures made to influence federal or out-of-state elections, which shall instead be reported as a single expenditure and be described as such on the campaign statement.
(2) A multipurpose organization registered with the Federal Election Commission is not subject to subdivisions (d) and (f) of Section 84211 but shall disclose the total amount of contributions received pursuant to subdivision (a) of
Section 84211, and shall disclose the multipurpose organization’s name and identification number registered with the Federal Election Commission on the campaign statement.
(e) (1) A multipurpose organization that is a committee pursuant to paragraph (2), (3), (4), or (5) of subdivision (c) shall comply with the registration and reporting requirements of this chapter, subject to the following, except that if the multipurpose organization is the sponsor of a committee as described in subdivision (f) it may report required information on its sponsored committee statement pursuant to subdivision (f):
(A) The multipurpose organization shall register in the calendar year in which it satisfies any of the criteria in subdivision (c). The statement of organization filed pursuant to Section 84101 shall indicate that the organization is filing pursuant to this section
as a multipurpose organization and state the organization’s nonprofit tax exempt status, if any. The statement of organization shall also describe the organization’s mission or most significant activities, and describe the organization’s political activities. A multipurpose organization may comply with the requirement to describe the mission or significant activities and political activities by referencing where the organization’s Internal Revenue Service Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax form may be accessed.
(B) Except as provided in this subparagraph, the registration of a multipurpose organization that meets the criteria of paragraph (5) of subdivision (c) shall terminate automatically on December 31 of the calendar year in which the multipurpose organization is registered. The multipurpose organization shall not be required to file a semiannual statement pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 84200, unless the multipurpose
organization has undisclosed contributions or expenditures to report, in which case termination shall occur automatically upon filing the semiannual statement that is due no later than January 31. After the multipurpose organization’s registration has terminated, the multipurpose organization’s reporting obligations are complete, unless the organization qualifies as a committee for purposes of subdivision (a) of Section 82013 again in the following calendar year pursuant to subdivision (c) of this section. Notwithstanding this subdivision, a multipurpose organization may elect to remain registered as a committee by submitting written notification to the Secretary of State prior to the end of the calendar year.
(C) A multipurpose organization shall report all contributions received that satisfy the criteria of paragraph (2), (3), or (4) of subdivision (c) of this section in the manner required by subdivision (f) of Section 84211, and for the
balance of its contributions or expenditures shall further report contributors based on a last in, first out accounting method.
(2) A multipurpose organization reporting pursuant to this subdivision shall disclose total contributions received in an amount equal to the multipurpose organization’s total contributions and expenditures made in the reporting period. When a multipurpose organization reports donors based on the last in, first out accounting method, it shall attribute to and include the information required by subdivision (f) of Section 84211 for any donor who donates one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more in a calendar year, except for the following:
(A) A donor who designates or restricts the donation for purposes other than contributions or expenditures.
(B) A donor who prohibits the multipurpose
organization’s use of its donation for contributions or expenditures.
(C) A private foundation, as defined by subdivision (a) of Section 509 of the Internal Revenue Code, that provides a grant that does not constitute a taxable expenditure for purposes of paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 4945 of the Internal Revenue Code.
(3) A multipurpose organization that qualifies as a committee pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (c) shall not be required to include contributions or expenditures made in a prior calendar year on the reports filed for the calendar year in which the multipurpose organization qualifies as a committee.
(4) If a multipurpose organization qualifies as a committee solely pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (c) and the committee is required to report donors based on a last in,
first out accounting method pursuant to paragraph (1), the multipurpose organization shall not be required to disclose donor information for a donation received by the multipurpose organization prior to July 1, 2014. This paragraph shall not apply with respect to a donation made by a donor who knew that the multipurpose organization would use the donation to support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure in the state by requesting that the donation be used for that purpose or by making the donation in response to a message or solicitation indicating the multipurpose organization’s intent to use the donation for that purpose.
(5) A contributor identified and reported in the manner provided in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) that is a multipurpose organization and receives contributions that satisfy the criteria in subdivision (c) shall be subject to the requirements of this subdivision.
(6) The commission shall adopt regulations establishing notice requirements and reasonable filing deadlines for donors reported as contributors based on the last in, first out accounting method.
(f) A multipurpose organization that is the sponsor of a committee as defined in Section 82048.7, that is a membership organization, that makes all of its contributions and expenditures from funds derived from dues, assessments, fees, and similar payments that do not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per calendar year from a single source, and that elects to report its contributions and expenditures on its sponsored committee’s campaign statement pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) shall report as follows:
(1) The sponsored committee shall report all contributions and expenditures made from the sponsor’s treasury funds on statements and reports filed by the
committee. The sponsor shall use a last in, first out accounting method and disclose the information required by subdivision (f) of Section 84211 for any person who pays dues, assessments, fees, or similar payments of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more to the sponsor’s treasury funds in a calendar year and shall disclose all contributions and expenditures made, as required by subdivision (k) of Section 84211, on the sponsored committee’s campaign statements.
(2) The sponsored committee shall report all other contributions and expenditures in support of the committee by the sponsor, its intermediate units, and the members of those entities. A sponsoring organization makes contributions and expenditures in support of its sponsored committee when it provides the committee with money from its treasury funds, with the exception of establishment or administrative costs. With respect to dues, assessments, fees, and similar payments channeled
through the sponsor or an intermediate unit to a sponsored committee, the original source of the dues, assessments, fees, and similar payments is the contributor.
(3) A responsible officer of the sponsor, as well as the treasurer of the sponsored committee, shall verify the committee’s campaign statement pursuant to Section 81004.
(g) For purposes of this section, “last in, first out accounting method” means an accounting method by which contributions and expenditures are attributed to the multipurpose organization’s contributors in reverse chronological order beginning with the most recent of its contributors or, if there are any prior contributions or expenditures, beginning with the most recent contributor for which unattributed contributions remain.
