Lobbying: Citizens Redistricting Commission.

The Political Reform Act of 1974 comprehensively regulates lobbyists and lobbying, including the lobbying of state agencies to influence administrative actions, as defined. Existing law, the Voters FIRST Act and the Voters FIRST Act for Congress, establishes the Citizens Redistricting Commission to carry out various duties and responsibilities in connection with redistricting Assembly, Senate, Board of Equalization, and congressional districts. This bill would apply the provisions of the Political Reform Act of 1974 that regulate lobbyists and lobbying to redistricting by the Citizens Redistricting Commission by expanding the definitions of "administrative action" and "state agency" to include redistricting and the Citizens Redistricting Commission, respectively. A violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 is punishable as a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of the disclosure requirements under the act, the bill would expand the scope of an existing crime, and therefore would impose a state-mandated 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 of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.