Political Reform Act of 1974: collection of fines.

Under existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, the Fair Political Practices Commission is authorized to bring a civil action and obtain a judgment in superior court for the purpose of collecting any unpaid monetary penalties, fees, or civil penalties imposed under the act. This bill would authorize the Commission to apply to the clerk of the superior court for a judgment enforcing a monetary penalty, fee, or civil penalty, and would require the clerk of the court to enter a judgment immediately in conformity with the application if the time for judicial review of the Commission's order or decision imposing the monetary penalty, fee, or civil penalty has lapsed, or if all means of judicial review of the order or decision have been exhausted. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes with a 23 vote of each house and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill, which would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act, would therefore require a 23 vote.