BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 990
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB
990 (Bonilla)
As Amended August 20, 2015
2/3 vote. Urgency
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|ASSEMBLY: | | (May 14, |SENATE: |32-8 | (September 2, |
| | |2015) | | |2015) |
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(vote not relevant)
Original Committee Reference: HEALTH
SUMMARY: Increases the size and prominence of disclosure
statements that are required to appear on certain campaign
advertisements.
The Senate amendments delete the Assembly version of this bill,
and instead:
1)Require an advertisement supporting or opposing a candidate
that is paid for by an independent expenditure to comply with
the following:
a) That the following specific phrasing be used for the
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disclosure statement that is required to appear on the
advertisement pursuant to existing law:
"This advertisement was not authorized or paid for by a
candidate for this office or a committee controlled by a
candidate for this office."
b) If the advertisement is mailed, that the statement
comply with all of the following:
i) Be located within one-quarter of an inch of the
recipient's name and address as printed on the
advertisement;
ii) Be contained in a box that has an outline with a
line weight of at least 3.25 points, and the outline is
in a contrasting color to the background color of the
advertisement and of the background color of the box;
iii) The background color of the box contrasts with the
background color of the advertisement; and,
iv) The text of the statement is in a contrasting color
to the background color of the box.
2)Increase the minimum size of disclosure statements that are
required to be printed on specified campaign advertisements
from 10-point to 14-point, and require the statements to be
printed in bold, sans serif type font.
3)Make corresponding changes.
4)Add an urgency clause, allowing this bill to take effect
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immediately upon enactment.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS: According to the author, "The Political Reform Act
requires all campaign mailers [that are paid for by independent
expenditures] to include a disclosure statement that it was not
authorized by the candidate? When voters do not notice the
disclosure statement, it becomes unclear which advertisements
are from the candidate and which ones are from independent
expenditures. It is vitally important that voters easily
identify which advertisements come from the candidates
themselves?. AB 990 fixes this problem by making it simple for
voters to notice and read the disclosure statement."
California voters passed an initiative, Proposition 9, in 1974
that created the Fair Political Practices Commission and
codified significant restrictions and prohibitions on
candidates, officeholders and lobbyists. That initiative is
commonly known as the Political Reform Act (PRA). Amendments to
the PRA that are not submitted to the voters, such as those
contained in this bill, must further the purposes of the
initiative and require a two-thirds vote of both houses of the
Legislature.
This bill was substantially amended in the Senate and the
Assembly-approved provisions of this bill were deleted. This
bill, as amended in the Senate, is inconsistent with Assembly
actions. The subject matter of this bill has not been heard in
an Assembly policy committee during the current legislative
session.
Analysis Prepared by:
Ethan Jones / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094 FN:
0001521
AB 990
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