BILL NUMBER: AB 1430	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Garrick

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2007

   An act to amend Sections 85312 and 85703 of the Government Code,
relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1430, as introduced, Garrick. Political Reform Act of 1974:
contribution limitations.
   Existing law provides that, for the purposes of contribution
limits imposed by the Political Reform Act of 1974, payments for
communications to an organization's members, employees, shareholders,
or their family members, to support or oppose a candidate or ballot
measure are not contributions or expenditures if not made for general
public advertisements, such as broadcasting, billboards, or
newspaper ads. However, existing law requires that payments by a
political party for communications to registered party members that
would otherwise qualify as contributions or expenditures be reported
in accordance with provisions governing the filing of periodic
campaign reports, and governing the filing of reports online or
electronically with the Secretary of State.
   This bill would provide that payments by a political party for
communications to its members includes all costs associated with
those communications, including indirect costs, including, but not
limited to, polling costs.
   Existing law provides that the Political Reform Act does not
nullify contribution limitations or prohibitions of any local
jurisdiction that apply to elections for local elective office,
except the limitations and prohibitions may not conflict with these
provisions regulating payments for communications.
    This bill would prohibit a local jurisdiction from imposing
additional restrictions or limitations on these communications that
are not found in the provisions regulating payments for
communications.
   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 2/3 vote of each house and compliance with specified
procedural requirements.
   This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.

   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated
local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 85312 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
   85312.   (a)    For purposes of this title,
payments for communications to members, employees, shareholders, or
families of members, employees, or shareholders of an organization
for the purpose of supporting or opposing a candidate or a ballot
measure are not contributions or expenditures,  provided
  if  those payments are not made for general
public advertising such as broadcasting, billboards, and newspaper
advertisements. However, payments made by a political party for
communications to its members who are registered with that party
 which   that  would otherwise qualify as
contributions or expenditures shall be reported in accordance with
Article 2 (commencing with Section 84200) of Chapter 4, and Chapter
4.6 (commencing with Section 84600), of this title. 
   (b) For purposes of this section, "payments made by a political
party for communications" includes all costs associated with those
communications, including indirect costs, including, but not limited
to, polling costs. 
  SEC. 2.  Section 85703 of the Government Code is amended to read:
   85703.  Nothing in this act shall nullify contribution limitations
or prohibitions of any local jurisdiction that apply to elections
for local elective office, except that these limitations and
prohibitions may not conflict with the provisions of Section 85312
 nor may local jurisdictions impose additional restrictions or
limitations on communications subject to Section 85312 if they are
not found in Section 85312  .
  SEC. 3.  The Legislature finds and declares that this bill furthers
the purposes of the Political Reform Act of 1974 within the meaning
of subdivision (a) of Section 81012 of the Government Code.