Political Reform Act of 1974: mass mailing prohibition.

The Political Reform Act of 1974 prohibits mass mailings from being sent at public expense. The act defines "mass mailing" as over 200 substantially similar pieces of mail, not including form letters or other mail, that are sent in response to an unsolicited request, letter, or other inquiry. Existing regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission add further definitional criteria for mass mailings and specify certain exceptions to the act's prohibition against mass mailings. This bill would prohibit a mass mailing that complies with the Commission's regulatory criteria from being sent within the 90 days preceding an election by or on behalf of a candidate whose name will appear on the ballot for a city, county, or special district elective office. A willful violation of the act's provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandate 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.