BILL NUMBER: AB 2368 INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Blakeslee FEBRUARY 19, 2010 An act to amend Section 86203 of the Government Code, relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2368, as introduced, Blakeslee. Political Reform Act of 1974: gift limitations. The Political Reform Act of 1974 prohibits a lobbyist or lobbying firm from making gifts to one person aggregating more than $10 in a calendar month. This bill would prohibit a lobbyist employer from making gifts to a Member of the Legislature aggregating more than $10 in a calendar month. Existing law makes a willful violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 a misdemeanor and subjects offenders to criminal penalties. This bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating additional crimes. 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 and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act. Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 86203 of the Government Code is amended to read: 86203. (a) It shall be unlawful for a lobbyist, or lobbying firm, to make gifts to one person aggregating more than ten dollars ($10) in a calendar month, or to act as an agent or intermediary in the making of any gift, or to arrange for the making of any gift by any other person. (b) It shall be unlawful for a lobbyist employer to make gifts to a Member of the Legislature aggregating more than ten dollars ($10) in a calendar month. SEC. 2. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution. SEC. 3. 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.