NOTE: * denotes urgency legislation
Political Reform
Campaign Financing
Elections
Political Reform SB 24 (Kopp-I) - Late Filing Contributions Permits filing officers to impose additional late filing fees when late contribution, late independent expenditure or late slate mailer payment reports are filed past the deadlines. Vetoed by the Governor SB 68 (Hayden-D) - Campaign Statements Requires, by January 1, 1998, electronic filing of campaign statements by committees receiving contributions or making expenditures totaling more than $30,000 in a calendar year, as specified. (Held under submission in Senate Appropriations Committee) SB 108 (Kopp-I) - Filing of Campaign Reports Enacts the Campaign and Government Electronic Disclosure Act of 1996. Requires the electronic filing of campaign reports by various committees of their disclosure on the Internet without the residential addresses or personal identification numbers. (Referred to Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee on a 29.10 rule violation when it came back from the Assembly and died in the Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) Similar legislation was SB 1893 (Hayden-D) which failed passage in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee; AB 1026 (McPherson-R) which was sent to interim study; and AB 2546 (Speier-D) which died in Assembly Appropriations Committee. SB 524 (Kopp-I) - Lobbying Firms Expands the definition of "lobbying firm" to create the new category of "indirect communication firm". Changes the lobbyist employer reporting threshold for grass roots organizations that would have to file as lobbyist employers. (Failed passage on the Assembly Floor) SB 704 (Beverly-R) - Monetary Limitations and Reporting Amends those provisions of the Political Reform Act of 1974 relating to various monetary thresholds which require disclosure of campaign contributions and expenditures. (Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) SB 753 (Lockyer-D) - Contribution Limitations Imposes various limitations on the amount that may be contributed to a candidate for statewide elective office, as specified. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) SB 754 (Lockyer-D) - Political Reform: Late Contributions Limits the amount of any contribution or loan to a candidate, or a committee controlled by a candidate, during the late contribution period in a campaign to no more than $1,000 in total. Excludes contributions of personal funds into one's own campaign. Expands disclosure requirements concerning preelection campaign statements and other campaign statements. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) SB 834 (Hayden-D) - Lobbyists Changes the definition of "lobbyist" to mean any individual who receives $1,000 or more in economic consideration in a calendar year, or whose principal duties as an employee are to communicate directly or through his or her agents with any elective state official, agency official or legislative official, for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action. Exempts employees of local government agencies from the Political Reform Act acting within the scope of their employment, as specified. (Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) SB 913 (Polanco-D) - Political Reform Act: Contributions Amends the definition of contributions in the Political Reform Act of 1974, as specified. Requires a candidate who is an elected officer to disclose payments made for legislative, governmental, or charitable purposes, made at the behest of this candidate and must be reported, as specified. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) SB 1076 (Mountjoy-R) - Political Reform: Foreign Nationals: Contributions Prohibits foreign governments, foreign nationals and foreign principals from making any contribution, expenditure or independent expenditure for or against any state or local initiative or referendum measure. (Died on Assembly Inactive File) SB 1617 (Craven-R) - Political Reform Act: Violations Makes the Political Reform Act's civil and criminal penalties applicable to all individuals who purposely or through gross negligence cause another person to violate the act or who aids and abets another person in a violation. (Failed passage in Senate Criminal Procedure Committee) SB 1697 (Kopp-I) - Political Reform Act: Judges Adds candidates for judicial office to the provisions of the Political Reform Act concerning the prohibition of an acceptance of honoraria and the limitation of gifts. Does not apply to any person who is a candidate for judicial office on or before December 31, 1996. Chapter 1056, Statutes of 1996 SB 1841 (Mello-D) - Political Reform Act: Statements Requires a candidate's statement of intent, bank account information, and economic interest to be filed with the Secretary of State. Requires copies of these statements be made available to the Fair Political Practices Commission. Chapter 898, Statutes of 1996 SB 2057 (Hayden-D) - Members of UC Regents and CSU Trustees Prohibits a Regent of the University of California or Trustee of the California State University System from donating, soliciting or accepting any campaign contribution for any committee controlled by the Governor, as specified (Died in Senate Education Committee) Companion legislation is SCA 32 (Hayden-D) which also died in Senate Education Committee. SB 2060 (Johnson-R) - Political Reform: Documents Requires a candidate's statement of intent and bank account information, and specified elected officials' statements of economic interests be filed with the Secretary of State. Chapter 289, Statutes of 1996 AB 338 (Vasconcellos-D) - Slate Mailers Requires additional notice on slate mailers¸ including information on how many people the organization authorizes to select the candidates or ballot measures that are endorsed and whether these persons are from the organization's general membership, board of directors, or otherwise. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 1391 (W. Brown-D) - Fair Political Practices Commission Prohibits the Fair Political Practices Commission from adopting any rule or regulation that abridges freedom of speech or of the press, as determined by the state or federal courts in their interpretations of the U.S. Constitution. (Died on Assembly Inactive File) AB 2039 (Frusetta-R) - Political Reform Act: Late Filing Increases the late filing penalty for reports required under the Political Reform Act from $10 to $100 per day, with the maximum fine not to exceed the cumulative amount stated in the late statement or $1,000, whichever is greater. (Failed passage in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) Similar legislation was SB 1700 (Johnson-R) which died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee. AB 2271 (Thompson-R) - Political Reform Act: Contributions Prohibits a candidate running for the Legislature from accepting campaign contributions during the off-years. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 2381 (Bowen-D) - Political Reform Act: Contributions Imposes contribution limits and other restrictions on campaign committees and increases the authority of and funding to the Fair Political Practices Commission. (Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 2687 (Speier-D) - Political Reform Act: Conflicts of Interest Extends conflict of interest provisions of the Political Reform Act to statewide elected officers, members of the Legislature, and members of the State Board of Equalization. Provides authority for public officials to deposit specified assets into a blind trust and to avoid reporting these assets and income from the assets on the statement of economic interest, as specified. (Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 2746 (Ackerman-R) - Public Officers and Employees: Political Activities Prohibits an organization that receives dues or membership fees paid or reimbursed by a state or local agency from engaging in certain activities in connection with ballot measures and prohibits public money from being used to pay dues or membership fees to an organization that supports or opposes state ballot measures or candidates. (Died in Assembly Elections and Reapportionment Committee) AB 3192 (Escutia-D) - Political Reform Act: Local Government Officials Requires local government officials who make an appearance in a public meeting before a local government agency of another jurisdiction to state on the public record of the meeting the names of any persons, other than their own government agency, from whom they have received compensation during the previous 12 months for the purpose of influencing any decision of the agency before which the meeting is being held. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 3278 (Kaloogian-R) - Political Reform Act: Slate Mailers Requires a slate mailer organization to include in its statement of organization the legal business name of the organization if the slate mailer organization is a business entity. Chapter 892, Statutes of 1996 AB 3279 (Kaloogian-R) - Political Reform Act: Violations Requires that an action to impose administrative penalties for violations of the Political Reform Act must be started within 4 years after the date on which the Fair Political Practice Commission is aware of the violation. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 3429 (Bower-D) - Political Reform Act: Gifts Revises the definition of gift found in the Political Reform Act by prohibiting public officials from receiving any gifts except for wedding gifts, gifts from an official or employee working in a subdivision of the same governmental jurisdiction, and specified gifts related to travel, all of which would be required to be reported on the official statement of economic interest if valued at $50 or more. (Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 3481* (Burton-D) - Political Reform Act: Slate Mailers Provides that slate mailers which contain any candidate endorsement, as specified, disclose that the endorsement is not the official position of the party that the mailer appears to represent. Chapter 893, Statutes of 1996 Campaign Financing SB 473 (Maddy-R) - Campaign Contribution Limits Repeals the campaign finance provisions that were enacted by Proposition 68 at the June 7, 1988 Primary Election but which were superseded by Proposition 73 because the latter received more votes. Changes campaign contribution limits of Proposition 73 from a fiscal-year basis to a per-election basis. (Died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) SB 1749 (Johnson-R) - Campaign Contribution Limits Limits campaign contributions to candidates for elective office in primary and general elections, and in specified local elections to $1,000 per election from an individual, $2,500 per election from a political committee, and $5,000 per election from a political party or broad-based political committee. Limits transfers of campaign funds and places limits of contributions to political committees and parties. (Died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) AB 1814 (Bowen-D) - Campaign Finance Reform Enacts the Campaign Finance Report Act of 1995, which imposes limitations on contributions to candidates for elective office, as specified; and sets up a Legislative Election Fund to which taxpayers can designate part of their tax liability. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment & Constitutional Amendments Committee) Similar legislation was AB 1816 (Bowen-D), which failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment & Constitutional Amendments Committee; AB 2381 (Bowen-D) which failed in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee; AB 2871 (Vasconcellos-D) which failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee; and AB 2694 (Cortese- RFM) which failed in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee. NOTE: There are 2 ballot propositions at the 1996 November election. Proposition 208 proposes contribution limitations and voluntary expenditure ceilings for candidates, in state, local and legislative elections. It does not affect federal elections. Proposition 212 proposes contribution limits, mandatory spending, ceilings and other restrictions on state, legislative and local elections. Does not affect federal elections. Elections SB 183 (Kopp-I) - Elections: Judicial Endorsements Prohibits a justice of a court of appeal from endorsing a candidate for the office of judge of a superior court if the superior court is within the appellate district in which the justice of the court of appeal serves. (Died on Assembly Floor) SB 244 (Hurtt-R) - Payments for Voting Makes it a felony offense to receive or induce another person to receive any money, gift, loan, office, employment or other valuable consideration for voting. (Died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) SB 279 (Lewis-R) - Statewide Ballot Measures Prohibits public officials at both state and local levels from expending public funds to bring legal actions to prevent statewide ballot measures from being placed on the ballot or from being implemented after being approved by the voters. Excludes members and employees of the Legislature. (Died in Senate Rules Committee) Similar legislation is ACA 24 (Baldwin-R) which died in Assembly Local Government Committee, AB 5 (Boland-R) which died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee, and AB 52 (Johnson-R) which failed passage in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee. SB 394* (Polanco-D) - Democratic Presidential Delegates Specifies changes in the procedures for selection of Democratic delegates to conform with the early March 1996 presidential primary election. (Died on Assembly Floor) SB 986 (Polanco-D) - Elections: Candidate Statements Allows candidates for statewide office to include a candidate's statement and photograph in the state ballot pamphlet. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) SB 1094 (Kopp-I) - Voter Registration Requires an elector who registers to vote in person at the office of the county elections official to display a valid form of identification as defined to mean a form of identification as set forth in a regulation adopted by the Secretary of State, and including a valid California driver's license or a valid California identification card. Requires the affidavit of registration card to indicate that the furnishing of a telephone number is optional. (Died in Conference Committee) A similar bill, SB 752 (Kopp-I), without the telephone language, failed passage on the Senate Floor. SB 1200* (Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) - Elections Makes additional conforming and non-administrative changes to provisions of the Elections Code which began in 1994 with the reorganization of the Elections Code. Makes other changes in the law concerning the conduct of elections. (In Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) SB 1251* (Mountjoy-R) - Electioneering Prohibits persons from electioneering within 100 feet of an election official's office at any time a voter may be casting a ballot. (Motion to recommend concurrence in Assembly amendments refused adoption in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) SB 1313 (Mountjoy-R) - Voters' Residency Confirmation Sets up a procedure to confirm election residency confirmation. Chapter 5, Statutes of 1996 SB 1511 (Mountjoy-R) - Elections: Voting Identification Requires a voter to present proof of his or her identity and residency to a member of the precinct board before receiving a ballot. Specifies the documents that may be used for this purpose and allows any other form of identification that the Secretary of State determines to be appropriate. Permits a voter who is unable to present proof of identity or residency to cast a provisional ballot. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) SB 1668 (Polanco-D) - Recall Election Requires recall petitions to contain specified information in addition to what they contain now. Permits any voter of the jurisdiction of the officer sought to be recalled to seek a writ of mandate requiring that the estimated cost to the jurisdiction of the recall election provided by the elections official or officials pursuant to this bill be revised. (Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) SB 1799 (Mountjoy-R) - Nomination Papers: Signatures Specifies that the existing provisions of statute pertaining to the number of registered voters required to sign nomination papers for various offices are mandatory, not directory, and that no nomination paper is to be deemed sufficient that does not comply. Chapter 307, Statutes of 1996 SB 1852 (Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) - Ballot Card Stubs Revises the instructional statement contained on ballot card stubs to read, "This ballot stub shall be removed and retained by the voter." Chapter 118, Statutes of 1996 SB 1853 (Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) - Election Documents: Recall Petitions Makes various changes to the recall procedures which update, modify, and delete certain Election Code sections. Chapter 714, Statutes of 1996 SB 1854 (Hayden-D) - Elections: Los Angeles Judges Allows candidates for judges of the superior or municipal courts in Los Angeles County to have their candidate's statements and rebuttals to other candidate's statements printed and distributed by the county elections official free of charge, if that candidate agrees neither to seek, nor pay for, his or her endorsement or inclusion in a state mailer. Imposes contribution limits for these judges. (Sent to interim study) SCA 9 (Leonard-R) - Initiatives: Identified Revenue Source Requires initiative measures to identify a source of revenue to fund any costs that would be incurred by state or local governments in implementing the initiative measure. (Died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) SCA 18 (Lewis-R) - Ballot Measures Prohibits ballot measures from conditioning their application in a political subdivision based on the votes cast in the jurisdiction. Resolution Chapter 34, Statutes of 1996 SCA 22 (Costa-D) - Initiatives: Legislative Review Prescribes procedures for the Legislature to hear, amend and adopt initiatives which have qualified for the ballot. Provides for removal from the ballot of initiatives which do not require voter approval, if the Legislature enacts the provisions of the initiative, as specified. (Died on Senate Inactive File) AB 10 (Hoge-R) - Voting: Proof of Citizenship Sets up standards relative to persons showing proof of citizenship before registering to vote or being provided a ballot. (Died in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) AB 297 (Knight-R) - Voter Registration Provides that a voter registration notification card is to be valid only to indicate that a person is a registered voter and not valid for any other purpose or to establish residence to determine eligibility for aid programs. (Failed passage in Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee) Similar legislation was AB 409 (Battin-R) which failed passage in Senate Health and Human Services Committee. AB 500 (Bowen-D) - Voting: Residency Confirmation Sets up new procedures for election residency confirmation. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) Similar legislation is AB 672 (K. Murray-D) which died in Assembly Transportation Committee. AB 544 (Vasconcellos-D) - Elections: Campaign Reform Creates a Commission on Campaign Decency, which would be responsible for formulating a Decent Campaign Pledge that candidates for legislative office could voluntarily sign under penalty of perjury, as specified. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 677 (Conroy-R) - Elections: Registration Adds being on probation for a felony to the criteria used by county election officials to cancel an individual's voter registration. (Died in Senate Appropriations Committee) A companion measure, ACA 43 (Conroy-R), failed passage on the Senate Floor. AB 680* (Mazzoni-D) - Ballot Pamphlet: Submittal of Measures Provides for submittal of AB 1168, the Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 1996 to the voters at the 1996 Primary Election and amends the Seismic Retrofit Bond Act of 1996 to reword the title that will appear on the primary ballot concerning the bond. Chapter 2, Statutes of 1996 AB 1700 (McPherson-R) - Elections Makes a number of technical changes to existing sections of the Elections Code, including a requirement that all filing fees and declarations of intention to become a candidate for a political party's nomination for an office be immediately forwarded to the Secretary of State. Chapter 724, Statutes of 1996 AB 1703 (McPherson-R) - Elections: Procedures Recodifies portions of the Elections Code dealing with various types of local elections. Makes the Election Code consistent, eliminates redundancies, increases precinct sizes, and clarifies code sections. Notification dates for the Secretary of State are changed. Chapter 725, Statutes of 1996 AB 1709 (McPherson-R) - Special Election Costs Reinstates effective January 1, 1997 the requirements that expenses incurred for conducting elections proclaimed by the Governor to fill vacancies in the Office of Senator or Member of the Assembly, or U.S. Senator or Representative be paid by the state until January 1, 2000. Chapter 102, Statutes of 1996 A similar bill was SB 1699* (Johnson-R) which died on the Senate Inactive File. AB 1714 (McPherson-R) - Voter Registration Makes the necessary changes in the Elections Code to comply with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and federal court decisions regarding its implementation. Chapter 1123, Statutes of 1996 AB 1856 (McPherson-R) - Elections: Student Poll Workers Allows election officials to appoint no more than 2 students to any precinct board, as specified. Prohibits a student so appointed from tallying votes. Chapter 337, Statutes of 1996 A similar bill was AB 1492 (Gallegos-D) which failed passage in Assembly Appropriations Committee. AB 1872 (Gallegos-D) - Elections: Precinct Boards Reduces the minimum number of clerks for a precinct board to 1. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 1873 (Gallegos-D) - Elections: Consolidated Precincts Limits the size of consolidated precincts in a special election for a legislative or congressional office to 650 voters. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 1874 (Gallegos-D) - Elections: Absent Voter Ballots Expands the list of designated persons who can return an ill or physically disabled voter's absentee ballot to include a member of a registered campaign committee. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 1875* (Gallegos-D) - Presidential Primary: Presidential Electors Makes necessary changes to implement the Democratic Party plan for electing party delegates to the 1996 national convention. Repeals the law providing per diem for each presidential elector. (Died on Assembly Inactive File) AB 1936 (Rainey-R) - Elections: Judicial Candidates Requires the Secretary of State's Office to expand the explanation of the terms of office for justices of the Supreme Court and courts of appeal in the ballot pamphlet. Requires county elections officials to modify slightly the heading which appears on the ballot for justices. Chapter 218, Statutes of 1996 AB 1998 (Knight-R) - Voting Materials: English Only Prohibits the printing of voting material in non-English languages, as specified. (Died on Assembly Inactive File) AB 2018 (K. Murray-D) - Absent Voter Ballot Permits an election official to deliver an absent voter's ballot to any authorized representative of the applicant, as specified. Permits an absent voter to allow a representative to return the ballot to the election official or to a polling place. Allows any voter to obtain permanent voter status. (Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 2275 (Thompson-R) - Candidates' Statements Makes submittal of candidates' statements mandatory. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 2283 (Kuehl-D) - Code of Fair Campaign Practices Adds to the Code of Fair Campaign Practices a pledge by a candidate not to use or permit any appeal to negative prejudice based on sexual orientation. (Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 2767 (Poochigian-R) - School District Elections Requires the sample ballot to contain a statement advising the voters that when a school district bond is being sold and issued for a project which is contingent on the approval of state matching funds, approval of the measure does not guarantee the proposed projects will be funded beyond the local revenues generated by the bond measure. Chapter 548, Statutes of 1996 AB 2782 (Machado-D) - Elections: Government Expenses Reimburses counties for costs incurred by the conduct of certain recall and special elections and reimburses the campaign expenses incurred by state officers who have not been recalled. (Died on Assembly Inactive File) A similar bill was AB 58XX (Gallegos-D) which died in Assembly Rules Committee. AB 2872 (Vasconcellos-D) - Direct Primary Election Changes the date of the primary for statewide and legislative office to September. (Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 3092 (Gallegos-D) - Elections: Ballots Allows county elections' officials to vary the order of ballot measures submitted to voters. Requires state measures to always precede local measures. Shortens the numbering cycle of state ballot measures from 20 to 10 years. Chapter 58, Statutes of 1996 AB 3163 (Campbell-D) - Education: Direct Democracy Act Requires that high school social science coursework include instruction in the initiative, referendum, and recall processes. (Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee) AB 3343* (Brulte-R) - Elections: Telephone Advocacy Prohibits candidates and campaign committees from hiring telemarketers unless these telemarketers disclose their identity during the phone call, as specified. (Died on Senate Inactive File) AB 3448 (Ducheny-D) - Elections: Student Voting Rights Enacts the Student Voting Rights Act of 1996 which requests the governing boards of the public colleges to direct the appropriate officials at their campuses to include voter registration forms in specified materials distributed to students. (Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) AB 3504* (Burton-D) - Elections: Ballot Format Requires ballots to be printed to avoid unnecessary spacing or gaps in the sequence in which each category of office is listed on the ballot. Sets forth formation rules to apply if it is necessary to leave spaces on the ballot. Places SCA 4 and SCA 18 on the November 1996 General Election Ballot. Chapter 333, Statutes of 1996 ACA 23 (Speier-D) - Elections: Voting Age Lowers the voting age from 18 to 14. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) ACA 37 (Machado-D) - Elective State and County Officers Prohibits an elective state or county officer, during the term to which he or she is elected or appointed, from being a candidate for or holding a different elective office, as specified. (Failed passage in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) ACA 41 (Caldera-D) - Initiatives Provides for a supermajority vote relative to initiatives. (Died in Assembly Elections, Reapportionment and Constitutional Amendments Committee) ACA 49 (Isenberg-D) - Governor and Lt. Governor: Joint Elections Requires the Governor and Lt. Governor to be of the same political party. Provides for joint elections in the General Election of the Gubernatorial and Lt. Gubernatorial candidate of the same party. (Failed passage on Senate Floor) Similar legislation was SCA 12 (Greene-D) which died in Senate Rules Committee and SCA 39 (Killea-I) which died in Conference. HR 18 (Bowler-R) - Recall Costs: Assembly Races Specifies that reimbursement of Assembly recall elections to counties comes from the Assembly Operating Fund. (Died in Assembly Rules Committee)
