Political Reform Act of 1974: gifts.

The Political Reform Act of 1974 regulates the receipt of gifts by public officials, including Members of the Legislature, and also regulates the activities of members of the lobbying industry, including lobbyist employers. Existing law prohibits certain public officials from receiving gifts in excess of a specified dollar amount from a single source on an annual basis. This bill would prohibit a lobbyist, lobbying firm, or lobbying employer from making to an elected state official, and an elected state official from receiving from a lobbyist, lobbying firm, or lobbying employer, specified gifts, regardless of the value of the gift. Existing law makes a willful violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 a misdemeanor. Because this bill would create a new crime or expand the definition of a crime, it 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 and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.