BILL ANALYSIS
SB 1007
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Date of Hearing: August 4, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
SB 1007 (Hancock) - As Amended: June 24, 2010
Policy Committee: ElectionsVote:7-0
(Consent)
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill amends the Political Reform Act (PRA) to require
elected members of and candidates for the governing boards of
the Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) and the State
Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) to file campaign reports
in generally the same manner and frequency as other candidates,
and makes existing contribution limits for other state offices
applicable to candidates for the CalSTRS board. Specifically,
this bill:
1)Requires all candidates for CalPERS and CalSTRS boards, their
controlled committees, and committees primarily formed to
support or oppose those candidates to file campaign reports
generally in the same manner and frequency as other candidates
for state office.
2)Makes campaign contribution limits that currently apply to
candidates for the Legislature and candidates for the CalPERS
board applicable to candidates for the CalSTRS board.
3)Requires pre-election campaign statements that are filed in
connection with an election for CalPERS or CalSTRS board to be
filed pursuant to a specified schedule.
4)Requires the original and one copy of each campaign statement
filed in connection with an election for the CalPERS or
CalSTRS board to be filed with the Secretary of State (SOS),
and requires a copy of each campaign statement to be filed
with the relevant board's office in Sacramento.
5)Permits the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) to
SB 1007
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adopt regulations to tailor the reporting and disclosure
requirements for candidates for, and committees involved in,
campaigns for the CalPERS and CalSTRS boards consistent with
the purposes and provisions of the PRA.
FISCAL EFFECT
Any costs to the FPPC, the SOS, CalPERS and CalSTRS will be
minor and absorbable.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . According to the author, "SB 1007 is a common sense
bill that . . . would simply require candidates for elected
positions to the [CalPERS] and [CalSTRS] boards to file
periodic campaign reports in generally the same manner as
candidates for other state offices. If these candidates raise
little or no money they will have little, if any, filing
obligations. However, some candidates do raise significant
contributions and other independent committees have been
formed to support them. Even if the recent controversies
surrounding these boards had not come to light this bill would
still be a good idea. These boards manage public investment
portfolios worth billions of dollars. The need for disclosure
is obvious."
2)Prior Legislation . SB 1753 (Schiff)/Chapter 923 of 1998
required candidates for seats on the CalPERS board who are
elected by CalPERS members to file campaign statements. At
that time, the CalSTRS board did not have member-elected
representatives like the CalPERS board, thus those provisions
of SB 1753 were not made applicable to the CalSTRS board.
Moreover, when the voters approved Proposition 34 at the
November 2000 election, which, among other provisions, imposed
contribution limits on candidates for elective state office,
provisions of SB 1753 made those contribution limits
applicable to candidates for the CalPERS board.
SB 1580 (Burton)/Chapter 1049 of 2002 provided for three members
of the CalSTRS board to be elected by CalSTRS members.
Although there have been two elections for the CalSTRS board
since that time, CalSTRS indicates that it is not aware of any
contributions being made to or expenditures being made by or
on behalf of any of the candidates.
SB 1007
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Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081