AB 201

  • California Assembly Bill
  • 2019-2020 Regular Session
  • Introduced in Assembly
  • Passed Assembly May 22, 2019
  • Passed Senate Sep 11, 2019
  • Signed by Governor Oct 08, 2019

Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign disclosure: text messages.

Abstract

The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing and activities. The act defines "mass mailing" to mean over two hundred substantially similar pieces of mail, and defines "mass electronic mailing" to mean sending more than 200 substantially similar pieces of electronic mail within a calendar month. The act prohibits a candidate or committee from sending a mass mailing or mass electronic mailing unless certain information regarding the source of the mailing is shown in or on the mailing, as specified. The act also regulates political advertisements. The act requires certain advertisements paid for by a committee to include the words "Ad paid for by" in the advertisement. The act requires electronic media advertisements, other than email messages or internet websites, paid for by a committee, other than a political party committee or a candidate controlled committee established for an elective office of the controlling candidate, to comply with certain disclosure requirements. The act requires certain committees to include a hyperlink to an internet website disclosing, among other things, the committee's "top contributors," as defined, in an electronic media advertisement. This bill would authorize a committee to instead include the words "Paid for by" or "With" in an advertisement that is a text message. The bill would require a committee other than a candidate controlled committee established for an elective office of the controlling candidate to include in certain text message advertisements that are not individually sent without the assistance of mass distribution technology the text "Paid for by" or "With" followed by either the name of the committee or a hyperlink or URL for an internet website containing certain disclosures, as specified. The bill would require a candidate controlled committee established for an elective office of the controlling candidate to disclose the name of the candidate and the office sought in those same types of text messages. The bill would require a committee with top contributors, other than a political party committee or a candidate controlled committee established for an elective office of the controlling candidate, to include the text "Top funders:" followed by the name of the single top contributor of $50,000 or more, or the names of the top two contributors of $50,000 or more, to the committee paying for the advertisement, as specified. The bill would prescribe certain requirements for the color and size of the text in the text message and the disclosures on the internet website. Because a violation of the requirements of the bill would be a crime under an existing provision of the act, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the definition of a crime. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 84502 of the Government Code proposed by AB 864 to be operative only if this bill and AB 864 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. 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 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.

Bill Sponsors (4)

Votes


Actions


Oct 08, 2019

California State Legislature

Approved by the Governor.

California State Legislature

Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 555, Statutes of 2019.

Sep 24, 2019

California State Legislature

Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.

Sep 13, 2019

Assembly

Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 72. Noes 1. Page 3567.).

Assembly

From committee: That the Senate amendments be concurred in. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (September 13).

Sep 12, 2019

Assembly

Re-referred to Com. on E. & R. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on E. & R. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.

Assembly

Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 3461.)

Sep 11, 2019

Assembly

In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

Senate

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 34. Noes 1. Page 2836.).

Aug 30, 2019

Senate

Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

Aug 29, 2019

Senate

Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

Aug 20, 2019

Senate

Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

Aug 19, 2019

Senate

From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

Aug 12, 2019

Senate

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  • Reading-1
  • Reading-2
  • Amendment-Passage
  • Referral-Committee
  • Amendment-Introduction
Com. on APPR.

Jul 31, 2019

Senate

In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

Jul 11, 2019

Senate

Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  • Reading-1
  • Reading-2
  • Amendment-Passage
  • Referral-Committee
Com. on APPR.

Jul 10, 2019

Senate

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (July 2).

Jun 18, 2019

Senate

In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

Jun 11, 2019

Senate

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.

  • Reading-1
  • Reading-2
  • Amendment-Passage
  • Referral-Committee
  • Amendment-Introduction
Com. on E. & C.A.

May 29, 2019

Senate

Referred to Com. on E. & C.A.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on E. & C.A.

May 23, 2019

Senate

In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

May 22, 2019

Assembly

Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 1828.)

May 16, 2019

Assembly

Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

May 15, 2019

Assembly

From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (May 15).

May 13, 2019

Assembly

Joint Rule 62(a), file notice suspended. (Page 1609.)

May 07, 2019

Assembly

Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on APPR.

May 06, 2019

Assembly

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. Read second time and amended.

Apr 23, 2019

Assembly

Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on APPR.

Apr 22, 2019

Assembly

Read second time and amended.

Apr 12, 2019

Assembly

From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 10).

Mar 18, 2019

Assembly

Re-referred to Com. on E. & R.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on E. & R.

Mar 14, 2019

Assembly

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on E. & R. Read second time and amended.

Assembly

Referred to Com. on E. & R.

  • Referral-Committee
Com. on E. & R.

Jan 15, 2019

Assembly

From printer. May be heard in committee February 14.

Jan 14, 2019

Assembly

Read first time. To print.

Bill Text

Bill Text Versions Format
AB201 HTML
01/14/19 - Introduced PDF
03/14/19 - Amended Assembly PDF
04/22/19 - Amended Assembly PDF
05/06/19 - Amended Assembly PDF
06/11/19 - Amended Senate PDF
07/11/19 - Amended Senate PDF
08/12/19 - Amended Senate PDF
08/29/19 - Amended Senate PDF
09/18/19 - Enrolled PDF
10/08/19 - Chaptered PDF

Related Documents

Document Format
No related documents.

Sources

Data on Open States is updated periodically throughout the day from the official website of the California State Legislature.

If you notice any inconsistencies with these official sources, feel free to file an issue.