Political Reform Act of 1974: disclosures: candidate experience.

(1) Existing law requires candidates to submit specified filings to declare their intent to run for elective office. Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, additionally requires candidates for elective office to make various disclosures relating to a campaign for elective office. This bill would require, beginning on the January 1 after the Secretary of State certifies a CAL-ACCESS Replacement, a candidate for elective office to file, when the candidate files a declaration of candidacy, a form to disclose the candidate's prior education and work history, and history of military service, if any. The filing would contain a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, that the information contained in the form is accurate to the best of the candidate's knowledge. The bill would require the Fair Political Practices Commission to create a form for this purpose. The bill would require the Secretary of State to post on its internet website a copy of completed forms submitted by candidates, making such forms available to the public for 4 years from the date of the election associated with the filing. The bill would establish penalties and enforcement procedures for these requirements, as specified. The bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature that a violation of these provisions be considered grounds for disqualification from elective office, and that a governing body with the power to remove an elected officer from an office may consider violation of this chapter as grounds for such removal. (2) The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. (3) A violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 is punishable as a misdemeanor, and reports and statements filed under the act are required to be signed under the penalty of perjury. By expanding the scope of existing crimes, 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. (4) 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.