Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign statements.

The Political Reform Act of 1974 requires elected officers, candidates, and committees, as defined, to periodically file campaign statements and related documents containing specified information, including the amount of contributions received and expenditures made. The act requires, generally, that local elected officers file such statements with local filing officers, as specified. The act requires the Secretary of State to develop an online and electronic filing system for specified persons and entities filing campaign statements and other documents and to certify and make the system available no later than February 1, 2021. This bill would require elected local government officers and candidates for elective local government office whose campaign contributions for an upcoming election equal or exceed $15,000 and who are not currently required to file a campaign statement or related document with the Secretary of State to file specified campaign statements and related documents with the Secretary of State, along with any other persons, such as their local filing officer, with whom they are otherwise required to file. The bill would make these requirements operative on the first January 1st after the Secretary of State certifies that necessary changes to the online filing and disclosure system described above have been made to accommodate filings by elected local government officers and candidates for elective local government office. A violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 is punishable as a misdemeanor and subject to specified penalties. By imposing criminal penalties on filers who fail to comply with the above requirements, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 23 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.