Lobbyist registration and termination.

Formatting changes only: line numbers removed, page numbers updated (97 to 96), enrollment headers and footers added (chamber passage dates, Secretary/Clerk signatures, Governor approval block).

Minor typo correction in the bill title: 'Section 86107 of of' corrected to 'Section 86107 of.'

The legislative counsel's digest was slightly condensed, merging two paragraphs into one, but conveys identical substantive content.

The bill now amends and repeals Section 86116 of the Government Code in addition to its original amendment of Section 86107, expanding scope from individual lobbyist filing procedures to also cover periodic reporting requirements for lobbyist employers and other payers.

New Section 3 establishes initial periodic report content for lobbyist employers and other persons, including: filer contact information, total payments to each lobbying firm, total payments to employed lobbyists, description of specific lobbying interests, activity expenses, contributions of $100 or more to state officers/candidates, and total other payments to influence action (including overhead and employees spending 10 percent or more of compensated time on lobbying).

New Section 4 establishes a second version of periodic report requirements that becomes operative one year after CARS certification. Key differences from the initial version: subdivision (d) requires information specified in Section 86114(a)(2)(B) and allows incorporation by reference to lobbying firm reports; the employee time threshold changes from '10 percent or more' to 'more than 10 percent'; and a new requirement mandates that payments of $2,500 or more connected with an issue lobbying advertisement must identify the specific legislative or administrative action referenced and state the filer's position (support, oppose, neutral, etc.).

The PUC ratemaking alternative reporting provision changes the threshold for when an attorney or witness employee's payments must be included: from 'less than 10 percent' of compensated time (initial version) to '10 percent or less' (second version), which is a subtle but meaningful clarification that makes the exclusion threshold consistent with the inclusion threshold.

New Section 6 creates a phased operative schedule: the first version of Section 86116 becomes operative when the Secretary of State certifies the online filing and disclosure system under Section 84602(b)(7), and the second (more detailed) version becomes operative one year after that certification.

New Section 5 repeals the prior amendment to Section 86116 made by Section 63 of Chapter 278 of the Statutes of 2025, cleaning up the statutory text before the new provisions take effect.

Individual lobbyists no longer must submit amended certifications or termination notices through their lobbying firm or employer. They can now file directly with the Secretary of State. This change appears in both Section 1(b) and Section 2(b).

A new Section 4 declares the bill an urgency statute that takes effect immediately rather than on January 1 of the following year. The stated reason is that the CAL-ACCESS Replacement System (CARS) launches in November 2026 and must be built with these updated filing requirements to avoid expensive post-launch modifications.

Coauthors Senators Choi, Umberg, and Weber Pierson were added to the bill.