SB 305

Bill Subjects

Abstract

The Political Reform Act of 1974 imposes reporting and registration requirements for lobbyists, committees formed for political purposes, and other persons. The act requires specified committees and slate mailer organizations to file their original statements of organization with the Secretary of State and with their local filing officer. The act requires individual lobbyists, lobbying firms, lobbying coalitions, and lobbyist employers, as defined, to file registration statements, any amendments to the statements, and notices of termination with the Secretary of State, both by online or electronic means and physically in paper format. The act also provides that if the Secretary of State develops and certifies an online filing and disclosure system, as specified, a comprehensive system of online and electronic filing requirements will be imposed, under which specified committees, slate mailer organizations, lobbyists, and other persons are required to file specified documents online or electronically with the Secretary of State without an additional requirement that they be filed in physical form, except as specified. This bill would immediately impose the online and electronic filing system with respect to specified committees, slate mailer organizations, lobbyists, and other persons. The bill would also eliminate the requirement that individual lobbyists, lobbying firms, lobbying coalitions, and lobbyist employers, as defined, file their registration statements, any amendments, or notices of termination, in physical form with the Secretary of State. 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.