Bill Text: CA SB321 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Late signature curing expenditure reports.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Failed) 2026-02-02 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB321 Detail]
Download: California-2025-SB321-Amended.html
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Amended
IN
Senate
May 06, 2025 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
March 17, 2025 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 321
| Introduced by Senator Cervantes |
February 11, 2025 |
An act to add Sections 82036.6 and 84208 to the Government Code, relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 321, as amended, Cervantes.
Late signature curing expenditure reports.
The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including requiring the filing of reports of contributions and expenditures. Existing law requires a committee that makes an independent expenditure for or against a specific candidate or measure during the 90-day period preceding the date of the election or on the date of the election to report the independent expenditure within 24 hours of the time it is made, as specified.
Existing law requires an elections official, upon receiving a vote by mail ballot, to compare the signature on the identification envelope with the voter’s signature appearing on specified voter registration records. Existing law requires the elections official to notify a voter whose signature does not match or who failed to sign the envelope of the opportunity to verify the
signature or provide a signature, as applicable.
This bill would require a committee that makes a late signature curing expenditure, as defined, to report the late signature curing expenditure within 24 hours of the time it is made. The bill would define “late signature curing expenditure” to mean an expenditure made by a committee related to ballot curing activities that occurs after the date of the election and before the certification of the election, as specified. The bill would provide that this late signature curing expenditure report is in addition to any other campaign statement required under the act.
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.
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.
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.
Section 82036.6 is added to the Government Code, to read:82036.6.
“Late signature curing expenditure” means an expenditure made by a committee related to ballot curing activities described in Section 3019 of the Elections Code that occurs after the date of the election and before the certification of the election. “Late signature curing expenditure” includes any expenditure made for the purpose of contacting a person regarding a signature verification statement or an unsigned verification envelope statement received pursuant to subdivision (d) or (e) of Section 3019 of the Elections Code.SEC. 2.
Section 84208 is added to the Government Code, to read:84208.
(a) (1) A committee that makes a late signature curing expenditure, as defined in Section 82036.6, shall report the late signature curing expenditure within 24 hours of the time it is made. A late signature curing expenditure(2) Within two years of the Secretary of State certifying the online filing and disclosure system pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 84602, the Secretary of State shall make the late signature curing expenditure report available for filing using that online filing and disclosure system.
(b) A committee that makes a late signature curing expenditure shall report its full name and street address, as well as the name, office, and district of the candidate if the
report is related to a candidate, or if the report is related to a measure, the number or letter of the measure, whether the expenditure was made to support or oppose the candidate or ballot measure, the jurisdiction in which the measure is to be voted upon, and the amount and the date, as well as a description of goods or services for which the late signature curing expenditure was made.
(c) A committee that makes a late signature curing expenditure shall file the late signature curing expenditure report in the places in which it would be required to file campaign statements under this article as if it were formed or existing primarily to support or oppose the candidate or measure for or against which it is making the late signature curing expenditure.
(d) A report filed
pursuant to this section shall be in addition to any other campaign statement required to be filed by this article.
