BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
SB 1426 (Blakeslee) - Political Reform Act: gifts.
Amended: April 9, 2012 Policy Vote: E&CA 4-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: May 24, 2012 Consultant: Maureen Ortiz
SUSPENSE FILE.
Bill Summary: SB 1426 prohibits lobbyists, lobbying firms, or
lobbyist employers from giving specified gifts to an elected
state officer, or a member of that officer's immediate family.
Fiscal Impact: Total first year costs of $204,970 (General
Fund) as follows:
Annual costs of $197,170 for 2.4PYs (General)
Additional one-time costs of about $4,000 in operating
expenses (General)
Ongoing costs of $3,800 for communications (General)
The Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) indicates the
need for 1 PY Legal Counsel for enforcement, 1 PY Special
Investigator, 0.3 PY Political Reform Consultant, and 0.1 PY for
Counsel in Legal Division totaling annual costs of $197,170 for
personnel. In addition, the FPPC anticipates one-time costs of
$4,000 for operating expenses, and ongoing costs of $3,800 for
communications and training.
Background: Existing law prohibits public officials from
accepting gifts from any single source in any calendar year with
a total value of more than $420, and also prohibits a lobbyist
or lobbying firms from giving gifts to a public official
aggregating more than $10 in a calendar month or from acting as
an agent or intermediary in the making of any gift or arranging
for the making of any gift by any other person.
"Immediate family" is defined in the Political Reform Act as the
spouse and dependent children.
Proposed Law: SB 1426 prohibits lobbyists, lobbying firms, or
lobbyist employer from giving an elected state official or the
official's immediate family any of the following gifts:
SB 1426 (Blakeslee)
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a) A theme park or amusement park ticket.
b) A professional sporting event ticket.
c) A collegiate or other amateur sporting event ticket with
a face value exceeding $25.
d) A theater, concert, or other entertainment ticket with a
face value exceeding $25.
e) A racetrack ticket.
f) A spa treatment, or other beauty or cosmetic service.
g) A golf, skiing, hunting, or fishing trip, or other
recreational outing or vacation.
h) A gift card.
SB 1426 specifies that the above prohibitions do not apply to a
fundraising event for a bona fide charitable organization.
Related Legislation: This bill is similar to SB 18 (Blakeslee)
2011 which was held on Suspense in this committee last year, and
to SB 50 (Correa) 2011 which was held in Assembly Rules
Committee.
Staff Comments: This bill furthers the purpose of the Political
Reform Act and will, therefore, require a 2/3rd vote on the
Senate Floor.