California 2011-2012 Regular Session Status: Enacted

AB 481 — Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign disclosure.

Last action — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 496, Statutes of 2012.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 15, 2011. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 70% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 9 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including requiring the reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures and imposing other reporting and recordkeeping requirements on campaign committees. This bill would require each campaign committee to identify its principal officer or officers, as defined, and would require each principal officer to maintain the committee's accounts and records. In addition, the bill would require a committee's principal officer, in the event the committee files a statement or report disclosing an independent expenditure, to sign a verification verifying that the committee has not received unreported contributions or reimbursements to make the independent expenditure and has not coordinated with the candidate or the opponent of the candidate or the proponent or the opponent of the state measure that is the subject of the expenditure. The Political Reform Act of 1974 defines "late contribution" and "late independent expenditure" as any contribution or independent expenditure totaling in the aggregate $1,000 or more that is made for or against any specific candidate, committee, or measure involved in an election that is made or received before the date of the election but after the closing date of the last campaign statement required to be filed prior to the election. This bill would instead define "late contribution" and "late independent expenditure" to mean a contribution or independent expenditure made within 90 days before the date of the election at which the candidate or measure is to be voted on. The Political Reform Act of 1974 requires that broadcast and mass mailing advertisements supporting or opposing candidates or ballot measures include disclosure statements that reflect specified information. This bill would require any advertisement supporting or opposing candidates or ballot measures to include such disclosure statements. 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 Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 496, Statutes of 2012.

  2. Approved by the Governor.

  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 12:15 p.m.

  4. Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 64. Noes 11. Page 6753.).

  5. From committee: That the Senate amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (August 31).

  6. Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 6685.)

  7. Re-referred to Com. on E. & R. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.

  8. In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  9. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 5006.).

  10. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  11. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 16).

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

  13. In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.

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

  15. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: to consent calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (July 3). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  16. Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.

  17. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(c).

  18. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  19. Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  20. Ordered to second reading.

  21. From inactive file.

  22. Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator DeSaulnier.

  23. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  24. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 3. Noes 2.) (June 8).

  25. In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  26. Referred to Com. on E. & C.A.

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

  28. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 48. Noes 26. Page 1336.)

  29. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  30. From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (April 12).

  31. Re-referred to Com. on E. & R.

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

  33. In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  34. Referred to Com. on E. & R.

  35. From printer. May be heard in committee March 18.

  36. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

  • Gordon · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on · 5 voted No

Sponsors (1)

  • Gordon

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 121 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

AB 481 GORDON Concurrence in Senate Amendments

Passed 64 Yea · 11 Nay · 5 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 631004
Democratic 1000
Republican 0101
Total 641105
% of votes cast 80%14%0%6%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Gordon — Yea
Hall — Yea
Feuer — Yea
Butler — Yea
Furutani — Yea
Hagman — Yea
Hill — Yea
Huber — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Fong — Yea
Allen — Yea
Ma — Yea
Carter — Yea
Portantino — Yea
John A. Pérez — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Ammiano — Yea
Cedillo — Yea
Davis — Yea
Olsen — Yea
Perea — Yea
Smyth — Yea
Valadao — Yea
Williams — Yea
Fletcher — Yea
Yamada — Yea
Campos — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Garrick — Not Voting
Gorell — Not Voting
Halderman — Not Voting
Harkey — Nay
Hayashi — Yea
Jeffries — Yea
Block — Yea
Chesbro — Yea
Conway — Nay
Donnelly — Nay
Lara — Yea
Mendoza — Yea
Miller — Yea
Morrell — Nay
Nestande — Yea
Norby — Nay
Pan — Yea
Silva — Nay
Torres — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Achadjian — Yea
Alejo — Yea
Beall — Yea
Blumenfield — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Brownley — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Huffman — Yea
Knight — Yea
Logue — Nay
Mansoor — Yea
Monning — Yea
Nielsen — Nay
Skinner — Yea
Solorio — Yea
Swanson — Yea
Wagner — Nay
Cook — Not Voting
Eng — Yea
Dickinson — Yea
Fuentes — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Beth Gaines — Nay
Bill Berryhill — Yea
Bonnie Lowenthal — Yea
Roger Hernández — Yea
V. Manuel Pérez — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Not Voting
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay

Official roll call →

amendments be concurred in.

Passed 5 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 5002
Total 5002
% of votes cast 71%0%0%29%
How each member voted (7)
Member Party Vote
Hall — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Fong — Yea
Donnelly — Not Voting
Mendoza — Yea
Swanson — Yea
Logue — Not Voting

Official roll call →

3rd Reading AB481 Gordon By Correa

Passed 38 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 35002
Republican 1000
Democratic 2000
Total 38002
% of votes cast 95%0%0%5%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Yee — Yea
Wyland — Yea
Evans — Yea
Fuller — Yea
Lowenthal — Yea
De León — Yea
Negrete McLeod — Yea
Hancock — Yea
Rubio — Yea
Cannella — Yea
Harman — Yea
Runner — Not Voting
Huff — Yea
Kehoe — Yea
Blakeslee — Yea
Corbett — Yea
Dutton — Yea
Leno — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Liu — Yea
Price — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Walters — Yea
Wright — Yea
Alquist — Yea
Anderson — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Pavley — Not Voting
Simitian — Yea
Vargas — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Emmerson — Yea
Correa — Yea
DeSaulnier — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Yea
La Malfa — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Strickland, Tony Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass.

Passed 7 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 7000
Total 7000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (7)
Member Party Vote
Dutton — Yea
Kehoe — Yea
Walters — Yea
Alquist — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Price — Yea
Steinberg — Yea

Official roll call →

Placed on Appropriations Suspense file.

Passed 7 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 7000
Total 7000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (7)
Member Party Vote
Kehoe — Yea
Dutton — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Price — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Walters — Yea
Alquist — Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass.

Passed 3 Yea · 2 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 3200
Total 3200
% of votes cast 60%40%0%0%
How each member voted (5)
Member Party Vote
De León — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Correa — Yea
Beth Gaines — Nay
La Malfa — Nay

Official roll call →

AB 481 GORDON Assembly Third Reading

Passed 48 Yea · 26 Nay · 6 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 452406
Democratic 3000
Republican 0200
Total 482606
% of votes cast 60%33%0%8%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Gorell — Not Voting
Halderman — Nay
Feuer — Yea
Butler — Yea
Hill — Yea
Huber — Yea
Carter — Yea
Williams — Yea
Campos — Yea
John A. Pérez — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Gordon — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Atkins — Yea
Hall — Yea
Chesbro — Yea
Huffman — Yea
Conway — Nay
Lara — Yea
Cook — Nay
Davis — Yea
Block — Yea
Logue — Nay
Mendoza — Yea
Monning — Yea
Olsen — Nay
Pan — Yea
Perea — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Solorio — Yea
Swanson — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Garrick — Not Voting
Fletcher — Nay
Cedillo — Not Voting
Hagman — Nay
Harkey — Nay
Portantino — Not Voting
Blumenfield — Not Voting
Donnelly — Nay
Jeffries — Nay
Knight — Nay
Miller — Nay
Morrell — Nay
Nestande — Nay
Nielsen — Nay
Smyth — Nay
Torres — Not Voting
Achadjian — Nay
Alejo — Yea
Ammiano — Yea
Beall — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Brownley — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Hayashi — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Ma — Yea
Mansoor — Nay
Norby — Nay
Silva — Nay
Valadao — Nay
Wagner — Nay
Eng — Yea
Dickinson — Yea
Fuentes — Yea
Furutani — Yea
Yamada — Yea
Beth Gaines — Nay
Bill Berryhill — Nay
Bonnie Lowenthal — Yea
Roger Hernández — Yea
V. Manuel Pérez — Yea
Allen, Benjamin Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Nay
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass.

Passed 5 Yea · 2 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 4200
Democratic 1000
Total 5200
% of votes cast 71%29%0%0%
How each member voted (7)
Member Party Vote
Bonilla — Yea
Hall — Yea
Mendoza — Yea
Swanson — Yea
Valadao — Nay
Logue — Nay
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

elections
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does AB 481 do?
Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including requiring the reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures and imposing other reporting and recordkeeping requirements on campaign committees. This bill would require each campaign committee to identify its principal officer or officers, as defined, and would require each principal officer to maintain the committee's accounts and records. In addition, the bill would require a committee's principal officer, in the event the committee files a statement or report disclosing an independent expenditure, to sign a verification verifying that the committee has not received unreported contributions or reimbursements to make the independent expenditure and has not coordinated with the candidate or the opponent of the candidate or the proponent or the opponent of the state measure that is the subject of the expenditure. The Political Reform Act of 1974 defines "late contribution" and "late independent expenditure" as any contribution or independent expenditure totaling in the aggregate $1,000 or more that is made for or against any specific candidate, committee, or measure involved in an election that is made or received before the date of the election but after the closing date of the last campaign statement required to be filed prior to the election. This bill would instead define "late contribution" and "late independent expenditure" to mean a contribution or independent expenditure made within 90 days before the date of the election at which the candidate or measure is to be voted on. The Political Reform Act of 1974 requires that broadcast and mass mailing advertisements supporting or opposing candidates or ballot measures include disclosure statements that reflect specified information. This bill would require any advertisement supporting or opposing candidates or ballot measures to include such disclosure statements. 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 Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
Who sponsors AB 481?
AB 481 is sponsored by Gordon.
What is the current status of AB 481?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 15, 2011. Enacted.
Where can I track AB 481?
Track AB 481 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on AB 481

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of AB 481

Last checked for changes 2 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →