Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign or political consultant activities.

The Political Reform Act of 1974 requires a lobbyist to register with the Secretary of State and prohibits a lobbyist from engaging in certain activities. This bill would prohibit a lobbyist from serving as a paid campaign or political consultant to an elected state officer. This bill would prohibit a paid campaign or political consultant to any elected state officer from directly communicating on behalf of a client with any elected state officer, any employee of an elective state office, or any state agency for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action. The act makes a knowing or willful violation of its provisions a misdemeanor and subjects offenders to criminal penalties. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill 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.