Political Reform Act of 1974

(1) The Political Reform Act of 1974 prohibits an agent or independent contractor from making an expenditure of $500 or more, other than overhead or normal operating expenses, on behalf of or for the benefit of any candidate or committee unless it is reported by the candidate or committee as if the expenditure were made directly by the candidate or committee. The act requires an agent or independent contractor to make known to the candidate or committee all information subject to this reporting requirement. This bill, in addition, would require a subagent or subcontractor who provides goods or services to or for the benefit of a candidate or committee to make known to the agent or independent contractor all of the information subject to the reporting requirement described above, and would require that disclosure of this information by a subagent or subcontractor to the agent or independent contractor or by the agent or independent contractor to the candidate or committee occur no later than three working days prior to the time the campaign statement reporting the expenditure is required to be filed, except that an expenditure that is required to be reported as a late contribution or late independent expenditure must be reported to the candidate or committee within 24 hours of the time that it is made. (2) The act defines as "surplus campaign funds" campaign funds that are under the control of a former candidate or former elected officer as of the date of leaving elective office or the end of the postelection reporting period following the defeat of the candidate for elective office, whichever occurs last. The act restricts the purposes for which surplus campaign funds may be expended. This bill would increase the time at which campaign funds become surplus campaign funds by 90 days following either the officer leaving elective office or the end of the postelection reporting period following the defeat of a candidate, whichever occurs last. (3) The act requires the Franchise Tax Board to conduct audits and field investigations of various financial statements required to be submitted by lobbying firms, lobbyist employers, candidates, and specified committees. The act prohibits the commencement of an audit or investigation of a candidate, controlled committee, or committee primarily supporting or opposing a candidate or a measure in connection with a report or statement required by specified provisions of the act until after the last date for filing the first report or statement following the general, runoff, or special election for the office for which the candidate ran, or following the election at which the measure was adopted or defeated, except as provided. The act prescribes the scope of campaign statements and reports to be included in audits and investigations of candidates, controlled committees, or committees primarily supporting or opposing a candidate or a measure. This bill would delete these provisions that delay the commencement of an audit or investigation and prescribe the scope of audits and investigations. In addition to the general auditing requirements imposed on the Franchise Tax Board as described above, the act authorizes the Franchise Tax Board and the Fair Political Practices Commission to make investigations and audits with respect to any reports or statements required by specified provisions of the act regarding campaign disclosure, limitations on contributions, and lobbyists. This bill would expand this authority to allow the Franchise Tax Board and the Fair Political Practices Commission to make investigations and audits with respect to any reports or statements required under the act. The act requires the Franchise Tax Board periodically to prepare reports regarding its audit and investigations under the act and send them to the Commission, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General. The act requires the board to complete its report of any audit conducted on a random basis pursuant to a specified statute within one year after the person or entity subject to the audit is selected by the Commission to be audited. This bill would extend the deadline for the Franchise Tax Board to complete its report of an audit conducted on a random basis from one to two years after the person or entity to be audited is selected by the Fair Political Practices Commission. The act prohibits a member, employee, or agent of the Franchise Tax Board from divulging or making known in any manner any particulars of any record, documents, or information which he or she receives by virtue of conducting audits and investigations, except as provided. This bill, in addition, would make this prohibition applicable to a member, employee, or agent of the Fair Political Practices Commission. This bill would authorize the Fair Political Practices Commission, and the Franchise Tax Board at the direction of the Commission, to audit any record required to be maintained under the act in order to ensure compliance with the act prior to an election, even if the record is a report or statement that has not yet been filed. The bill would authorize the Commission to seek injunctive relief in a superior court to compel disclosure consistent with the act, and would require a court to grant expedited review of an action filed pursuant to this provision, as specified. (4) 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. (5) 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. (6) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. The bill would delay the operative date of its provisions until July 1, 2014.