Mia Bonta
- Democratic
- Assemblymember
- District 18
Author
The Political Reform Act of 1974 regulates the use of campaign funds held by candidates for elective office, elected officers, and campaign committees. The act authorizes a candidate or elected officer to use campaign funds to pay or reimburse the state for the reasonable costs of installing and monitoring a home or office electronic security system or for another tangible item related to security, and for the reasonable costs of providing personal security to a candidate, elected officer, or the immediate family or staff of a candidate or elected officer, provided that the threat or potential threat to safety arises from the candidate's or elected officer's activities, duties, or status as a candidate or elected officer or from staff's position as staff of the candidate or elected officer. The act permits a candidate or elected officer to expend a maximum of $10,000 of campaign funds for these purposes during their lifetime. This bill would eliminate that monetary cap until January 1, 2029. Beginning January 1, 2029, the bill would instead permit a candidate or elected officer to expend a maximum of $10,000 of campaign funds for these purposes per calendar year. Existing law exempts payments to a relative, within the third degree of consanguinity, of a candidate or elected officer from the definition of "security expenses." This bill would instead exempt payments to the candidate's or elected officer's spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew, niece, aunt, uncle, or first cousin or the spouse of any such person from the definition of "security expenses." This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 89517.5 of the Government Code proposed by AB 808, to be operative only if this bill and AB 808 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. 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.
Approved by the Governor.
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 621, Statutes of 2025.
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 65. Noes 6. Page 3465.).
Joint Rules 61(a)(14) and 51(a)(4) suspended. (Ayes 59. Noes 20. Page 3413.)
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 31. Noes 4. Page 2985.).
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 4. Noes 0.) (July 15).
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.
Withdrawn from committee.
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on HEALTH.
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 59. Noes 4. Page 1170.)
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 1).
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HEALTH. Read second time and amended.
From printer. May be heard in committee March 21.
Read first time. To print.
| Bill Text Versions | Format |
|---|---|
| AB789 | HTML |
| 02/18/25 - Introduced | |
| 03/17/25 - Amended Assembly | |
| 06/23/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 07/08/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 08/25/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 09/03/25 - Amended Senate | |
| 09/16/25 - Enrolled | |
| 10/11/25 - Chaptered |
| Document | Format |
|---|---|
| 04/01/25- Assembly Health | |
| 04/03/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS | |
| 07/11/25- Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments | |
| 07/16/25- Sen. Floor Analyses | |
| 08/27/25- Sen. Floor Analyses | |
| 09/06/25- Sen. Floor Analyses | |
| 09/12/25- ASSEMBLY FLOOR ANALYSIS |
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