Bill Text: CA AB2421 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Political Reform Act of 1974: committee termination.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Passed) 2026-07-13 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 75, Statutes of 2026. [AB2421 Detail]

Download: California-2025-AB2421-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  March 16, 2026

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2421

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Introduced by Assembly Member Valencia

February 20, 2026

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An act to amend Section 84214 of add Section 84214.5 to the Government Code, relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2421, as amended, Valencia. Political Reform Act of 1974: committee termination.

The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including requiring the filing of reports of contributions and expenditures. The act requires committees and candidates to terminate their filing obligation, as provided by the Fair Political Practices Commission by regulation, ensuring that the committee or candidate will have no activity that must be disclosed subsequent to the termination.

This bill would provide that if either of 2 conditions is present, the Secretary of State must provide notice to committees that receive contributions totaling $2,000 or more per year that the committee will be automatically terminated 180 days after the notice is sent. Those conditions are: 1) The committee failed to submit a campaign report for at least the preceding 12 months and either had an ending cash balance of $3,000 or less on its last campaign statement or had an ending cash balance of $5,000 or less on its last campaign statement and owes $2,000 or more to the controlling candidate; 2) The committee filed a statement of organization in error. The bill would specify that if an objection to the termination notice is not filed by the committee or the commission with the Secretary of State within 180 days after the notice is sent, the Secretary of State must terminate the committee.

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.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to that provision.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY2/3   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 84214.5 is added to the Government Code, to read:

84214.5.

 (a) (1) If a committee, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 82013, meets either of the conditions of termination described in paragraph (2), the Secretary of State shall provide a written notice to the committee’s treasurer and the commission that the committee will be automatically terminated 180 days after the date the notice is sent.

(2) (A) The committee failed to submit a campaign report for at least the preceding 12 months and either of the following conditions is present:

(i) The committee had an ending cash balance of three thousand dollars ($3,000) or less on its last campaign statement.

(ii) The committee had an ending cash balance of five thousand dollars ($5,000) or less on its last campaign statement and owes two thousand dollars ($2,000) or more to the controlling candidate.

(B) The committee filed a statement of organization in error.

(b) (1) If the committee or its representative, or the commission, does not file a written objection to termination with the Secretary of State within 180 days after the date the notice is sent pursuant to subdivision (a), the Secretary of State shall terminate the committee.

(2) Within 30 days of terminating the committee, the Secretary of State shall provide notice of the termination to the filing officer with whom the committee was required to file its last campaign statement.

SEC. 2.

 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.

SECTION 1.Section 84214 of the Government Code, as added by Chapter 289 of the Statutes of 1980, is amended to read:

84214.

Committees and candidates shall terminate their filing obligation pursuant to regulations adopted by the commission, ensuring that the committee or candidate will have no activity that must be disclosed pursuant to this chapter subsequent to the termination. Such regulations shall not require the filing of any campaign statements other than those required by this chapter. A committee that qualifies solely under subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 82013 shall not be required to file any notice of its termination.