Charitable solicitations: financial disclosures.

Existing law requires a solicitor or seller, prior to any solicitation or sales solicitation for charitable purposes, to provide the prospective donor or purchaser with certain disclosures, including, among others, the name and address of the combined campaign, each organization or fund on behalf of which money collected will be utilized, and the percentage of the total gift or purchase price that may be deducted as a charitable contribution under both federal and state law. Under existing law, a violation of certain advertising restrictions, including charitable solicitation requirements, is a crime. This bill would require an Internet Web site produced by, or on behalf of, a Clarity, as specified, to contain a prominent link to the Attorney General's Internet Web site which contains information about consumer rights and protections and charity research resources. The bill would also require any solicitation document produced by a charity to also include the address for the Attorney General's Internet Web site. As a violation of these requirements would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would, by July 1, 2017, require the Attorney General to develop and publish specified information regarding consumer rights and charities on the Attorney General's Internet Web site. 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.