AB 1648 — Political Reform Act of 1974: advertisements: disclosure.

Summary

The Political Reform Act of 1974 regulates mass mailings, known as slate mailers, that support or oppose multiple candidates or ballot measures for an election. The act requires that each slate mailer identify the slate mailer organization or committee primarily formed to support or oppose one or more ballot measures that is sending the slate mailer, and to contain other specified information in specified formatting. The act requires that each candidate and each ballot measure that has paid to appear in the slate mailer be designated by an asterisk. This bill would instead require that a candidate or ballot measure appearing in the slate mailer be designated by an asterisk if the slate mailer organization or committee primarily formed to support or oppose one or more ballot measures that is sending the slate mailer has received payment to include the candidate or ballot measure in the slate mailer. The bill would also recast the language of the prescribed notice to voters that must be included on a slate mailer. The act also regulates advertisements, which are defined as any general or public advertisement that is authorized and paid for by a person or committee for the purpose supporting or opposing a candidate for elective office or a ballot measure or ballot measures. The act places certain disclosure requirements on advertisements for or against any ballot measure, including that the advertisement disclose any person who has made cumulative contributions of $50,000 or more, as prescribed. The act places more specific disclosure requirements on broadcast or mass mailing advertisements that are paid for by independent expenditures that support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure. This bill would repeal provisions relating to disclosures for advertisements paid for by an independent expenditure and required disclosures of persons who have made cumulative contributions of $50,000 or more. This bill would, instead, impose specified disclosure requirements on radio, television, and video advertisements, and certain mass mailing and print advertisements that support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure or solicit contributions in support of those purposes. The bill would require radio, television, and video advertisements that are authorized by a candidate or agent of the candidate to include a statement in which the candidate identifies himself or herself and states that he or she approves the message, as specified. The bill would require radio, television, video, and certain mass mailings and print advertisements that are not authorized by a candidate or an agent of the candidate to disclose, in a prescribed format, the 3 largest identifiable contributors, as defined, of the committee that paid for the advertisement. The bill would require mass mailings or print advertisements that are paid for by certain persons who are not committees to disclose the name of that person as the funder of the mass mailing or print advertisement. The bill would also require that certain committees establish and maintain a committee disclosure Internet Web site, as defined, which discloses the top 10 identifiable contributors and provides a link to either the Internet Web site maintained by the Secretary of State for campaign finance disclosures of the committee, or a page on the committee disclosure Internet Web site that discloses all identifiable contributors to that committee, as specified. The bill would require these advertisements to identify the address for the committee disclosure Internet Web site. Existing law makes a knowing or willful violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 a misdemeanor and subjects offenders to criminal penalties. This bill would impose a state-mandated local program by creating additional crimes. 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 act may be amended by a statute that becomes effective upon approval of the voters. This measure would call a special statewide election to be consolidated with the statewide general election scheduled for November 4, 2014. It would provide for the submission to the voters of the provisions of this bill amending the Political Reform Act of 1974, as summarized above, at that election. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an act calling an election.

Bill Text

• Amended 08/16/12 - Amended Assembly Current pdf August 16, 2012
• Amended 05/31/12 - Amended Assembly pdf May 31, 2012
• Amended 05/17/12 - Amended Assembly pdf May 17, 2012
• Amended 04/10/12 - Amended Assembly pdf April 10, 2012
• Introduced 02/13/12 - Introduced pdf February 13, 2012
• AB1648 View text html

Action History

1. August 21, 2012

   In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

2. August 20, 2012

   Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 50. Noes 26. Page 6005.)

3. August 16, 2012

   Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading. (Ayes 52. Noes 26. Page 5961.)

4. May 31, 2012

   Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading. (Ayes 50. Noes 24. Page 5177.)

5. May 25, 2012

   Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

6. May 25, 2012

   From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 5.) (May 25).

7. May 21, 2012

   Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

8. May 17, 2012

   From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Read second time and amended.

9. April 18, 2012

   In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

10. April 11, 2012

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

11. April 10, 2012

    Read second time and amended.

12. April 09, 2012

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 2.) (March 27).

13. February 23, 2012

    Referred to Com. on E. & R.

14. February 14, 2012

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.

15. February 13, 2012

    Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

• Alejo · Cosponsor
• Ammiano · Cosponsor
• Beall · Cosponsor
• Block · Cosponsor
• Blumenfield · Cosponsor
• Brownley · Primary
• Buchanan · Cosponsor
• Butler · Cosponsor
• Campos · Cosponsor
• Carter · Cosponsor
• Travis Allen · Cosponsor
• Atkins · Cosponsor
• Bonilla · Cosponsor
• Fletcher · Cosponsor
• Mitchell · Cosponsor
• Portantino · Cosponsor
• Chesbro · Cosponsor
• Davis · Cosponsor
• Dickinson · Cosponsor
• Eng · Cosponsor
• Feuer · Cosponsor
• Galgiani · Cosponsor
• Gordon · Cosponsor
• Gatto · Cosponsor
• Hancock · Cosponsor
• Hill · Cosponsor
• Hayashi · Cosponsor
• Huber · Cosponsor
• Hueso · Cosponsor
• Huffman · Cosponsor
• Lara · Cosponsor
• Leno · Cosponsor
• Lieu · Cosponsor
• Ma · Cosponsor
• Monning · Cosponsor
• V. Manuel Pérez · Cosponsor
• Pavley · Cosponsor
• Perea · Cosponsor
• Skinner · Cosponsor
• Swanson · Cosponsor
• Torres · Cosponsor
• Wieckowski · Cosponsor
• Williams · Cosponsor
• Yamada · Cosponsor
• Yee · Cosponsor
• Mike Fong · Cosponsor
• Josh Lowenthal · Cosponsor
• V. Manuel Pérez · Cosponsor

Votes

Subjects