Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign funds: cybersecurity.

The Political Reform Act of 1974 regulates the use of campaign funds held by candidates for elective office, elected officers, and campaign committees. The act generally prohibits the use of campaign funds for payment or reimbursement for the lease of real property or for the purchase, lease, or refurbishment of any appliance or equipment if the lessee or sublessor is, or the legal title resides in, a specified individual, such as a candidate, elected officer, or a member of the candidate or officer's immediate family. Notwithstanding that prohibition, existing law authorizes the use of campaign funds to pay or reimburse the state for the costs of installing and monitoring an electronic security system in a candidate or elected officer's home or office, as specified. This bill would authorize the expenditure of campaign funds to pay for, or reimburse the state for, the installation and monitoring of hardware, software, and services related to the cybersecurity of the electronic devices of a candidate, elected officer, or campaign worker. The bill would require a candidate or elected officer to report any expenditure of campaign funds for these purposes to the Fair Political Practices Commission in the candidate or elected officer's campaign statements. The bill would make related findings and declarations. 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 of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.