Bill Text: CA AB895 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign statements: filing.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-07-24 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 111, Statutes of 2017. [AB895 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB895-Chaptered.html
| Assembly Bill No. 895 |
| CHAPTER 111 |
An act to amend Sections 84215, 84605, and 84606 of the Government Code, relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974.
[
Approved by
Governor
July 24, 2017.
Filed with
Secretary of State
July 24, 2017.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 895, Quirk.
Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign statements: filing.
The Political Reform Act of 1974 requires enumerated individuals and entities to file campaign statements with the Secretary of State. The act requires certain of these individuals and entities to file online or by electronic means, as specified, and it permits others to do so voluntarily. Existing law requires that online filers continue to file in paper format until the Secretary of State determines that the online and electronic disclosure systems are operating securely and effectively. Existing law specifies that the paper filing be considered the official filing for audit and other legal purposes. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to certify an online and electronic disclosure system for
public use, as specified.
This bill would eliminate the requirement that those filers who file online or by electronic means also file in paper format pending the determination by the Secretary of State. The bill would become operative when the Secretary of State certifies the online filing and disclosure system for public use.
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: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 84215 of the Government Code is amended to read:84215.
All candidates and elected officers and their controlled committees, except as provided in subdivisions (d) and (e), shall file one copy of the campaign statements required by Section 84200 with the elections official of the county in which the candidate or elected official is domiciled, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 349 of the Elections Code. In addition, campaign statements shall be filed at the following places:(a) Statewide elected officers, including members of the State Board of Equalization; Members of the Legislature; Supreme Court justices, court of appeal justices, and superior court judges; candidates for those offices and their controlled committees; committees formed or existing
primarily to support or oppose these candidates, elected officers, justices and judges, or statewide measures, or the qualification of state ballot measures; and all state general purpose committees and filers not specified in subdivisions (b) to (e), inclusive, shall file a campaign statement by online or electronic means, as specified in Section 84605.
(b) Elected officers in jurisdictions other than legislative districts, State Board of Equalization districts, or appellate court districts that contain parts of two or more counties, candidates for these offices, their controlled committees, and committees formed or existing primarily to support or oppose candidates or local measures to be voted upon in one of these jurisdictions shall file the original and one copy with the elections official of the county with the largest number of
registered voters in the jurisdiction.
(c) County elected officers, candidates for these offices, their controlled committees, committees formed or existing primarily to support or oppose candidates or local measures to be voted upon in any number of jurisdictions within one county, other than those specified in subdivision (d), and county general purpose committees shall file the original and one copy with the elections official of the county.
(d) City elected officers, candidates for city office, their controlled committees, committees formed or existing primarily to support or oppose candidates or local measures to be voted upon in one city, and city general purpose committees shall file the original and one copy with the clerk of the city and are not required
to file with the local elections official of the county in which they are domiciled.
(e) Elected members of the Board of Administration of the Public Employees’ Retirement System, elected members of the Teachers’ Retirement Board, candidates for these offices, their controlled committees, and committees formed or existing primarily to support or oppose these candidates or elected members shall file the original and one copy with the Secretary of State, and a copy shall be filed at the relevant board’s office in Sacramento. These elected officers, candidates, and committees need not file with the elections official of the county in which they are domiciled.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a committee, candidate, or elected officer is not
required to file more than the original and one copy, or one copy, of a campaign statement with any one county elections official or city clerk or with the Secretary of State.
(g) If a committee is required to file campaign statements required by Section 84200 or 84200.5 in places designated in subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, it shall continue to file these statements in those places, in addition to any other places required by this title, until the end of the calendar year.
SEC. 2.
Section 84605 of the Government Code is amended to read:84605.
(a) The following persons shall file online or electronically with the Secretary of State:(1) Any candidate, including superior court, appellate court, and Supreme Court candidates and officeholders, committee, or other persons who are required, pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 84100), to file statements, reports, or other documents in connection with a state elective office or state measure, provided that the total cumulative reportable amount of contributions received, expenditures made, loans made, or loans received is twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or more. In determining the cumulative reportable amount, all controlled committees, as defined by Section
82016, shall be included. For a committee subject to this title prior to January 1, 2000, the beginning date for calculating cumulative totals is January 1, 2000. For a committee that is first subject to this title on or after January 1, 2000, the beginning date for calculating cumulative totals is the date the committee is first subject to this title. A committee, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 82013, shall file online or electronically if it makes contributions of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or more in a calendar year.
(2) Any general purpose committees, as defined in Section 82027.5, including the general purpose committees of political parties, and small contributor committees, as defined in Section 85203, that cumulatively receive contributions or make expenditures totaling twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or more
to support or oppose candidates for any elective state office or state measure. For a committee subject to this title prior to January 1, 2000, the beginning date for calculating cumulative totals is January 1, 2000. For a committee that first is subject to this title on or after January 1, 2000, the beginning date for calculating cumulative totals is the date the committee is first subject to this title.
(3) Any slate mailer organization with cumulative reportable payments received or made for the purposes of producing slate mailers of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or more. For a slate mailer organization subject to this title prior to January 1, 2000, the beginning date for calculating cumulative totals is January 1, 2000. For a slate mailer organization that first is subject to this title on or after January 1, 2000, the beginning
date for calculating cumulative totals is the date the organization is first subject to this title.
(4) Any lobbyist, lobbying firm, lobbyist employer, or other persons required, pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 86100), to file statements, reports, or other documents, provided that the total amount of any category of reportable payments, expenses, contributions, gifts, or other items is two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more in a calendar quarter.
(b) The Secretary of State shall also disclose on the Internet any late contribution or late independent expenditure report, as defined by Sections 84203 and 84204, respectively, not covered by paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subdivision (a) or any other provision of law.
(c) Committees and other persons that are not required to file online or electronically by this section may do so voluntarily.
(d) Once a person or entity is required to file online or electronically, subject to subdivision (a) or (c), the person or entity shall be required to file all subsequent reports online or electronically.
(e) It shall be presumed that online or electronic filers file under penalty of perjury.
(f) The Secretary of State shall maintain at all times a secured, official version of all original online and electronically filed statements and reports required by this chapter, which shall be the official version for audit and other legal
purposes.
(g) Except for statements related to a local elective office or a local ballot measure filed by a candidate for local elective office who is also a candidate for elective state office, a copy of a statement, report, or other document filed by online or electronic means with the Secretary of State shall not be filed with a local filing officer.
