Political Reform Act of 1974.

(1) The Political Reform Act of 1974 prohibits an officer of an agency from accepting, soliciting, or directing a contribution of more than $250 from any party, or his or her agent, or from any participant, or his or her agent, while a proceeding involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use is pending before the agency and for 3 months following the date a final decision is rendered in the proceeding, if the officer knows or has reason to know that the participant has a financial interest, as defined. The act also requires an officer to disclose on the record a contribution of more than $250 from a party or participant received within the 12 months preceding a decision in a proceeding and would prohibit the official from making, participating in making, or otherwise using his or her official position to influence a decision in a proceeding in which the official knows or has reason to know that the party or participant has a financial interest in the decision. The act defines an "agency," for these purposes, to mean any state or local government agency, except certain entities, including local governmental agencies whose members are directly elected by the voters. The act defines a "license, permit, or other entitlement for use," for these purposes, to include, among other things, all contracts except competitively bid, labor, or personal employment contracts. This bill would revise the definition of "agency" to include a local government agency formed pursuant to provisions of the Water Code. The bill would revise the definition of "license, permit, or other entitlement for use" with respect to proceedings before a local government agency formed pursuant to the Water Code to apply to all contracts that are not competitively bid. (2) Violations of the act are punishable as a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill imposes 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. (3) 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.