Bill Text: CA AB990 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Political Reform Act of 1974: advertisement disclosures.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2015-10-10 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 747, Statutes of 2015. [AB990 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB990-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 990	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JULY 15, 2015
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JULY 2, 2015
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 20, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bonilla
   (Coauthor: Assembly Member Gordon)

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2015

   An act to amend Sections 84506.5 and 84507 of the Government Code,
relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974  , and declaring
the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately  .


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 990, as amended, Bonilla. Political Reform Act of 1974:
advertisement disclosures.
   Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, provides for the
comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including requiring
the reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures and imposing
other reporting and recordkeeping requirements on campaign
committees. The act additionally imposes various disclosure statement
requirements with respect to advertisements supporting or opposing a
candidate or ballot measure, including a requirement that the
disclosure statements be printed clearly and legibly in no less than
10-point type and in a conspicuous manner, as specified. The act also
requires that an advertisement supporting or opposing a candidate
that is paid for by an independent expenditure include a statement
that it was not authorized by a candidate or a committee controlled
by a candidate.
   This bill would require that disclosure statements be printed in
no less than 18-point, bold, sans serif type font. The bill would
require that an advertisement supporting or opposing a candidate that
is paid for by an independent expenditure include a disclosure
statement with specific  content, and   content
and,  if the advertisement is mailed, would require that the
disclosure statement be located within a quarter of an inch of the
recipient's name and address and be contained within a box that meets
prescribed criteria.
   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 2/3 vote of each house 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. 
   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 84506.5 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
   84506.5.  (a) An advertisement supporting or opposing a candidate
that is paid for by an independent expenditure must include the
following statement: This advertisement was not authorized or paid
for by the candidate or a committee controlled by the candidate.
   (b) In addition to the requirements of Section 84507, a mailed
advertisement subject to this section shall also comply with each of
the following:
   (1) The disclosure statement in subdivision (a) shall be located
within one quarter of an inch of the recipient's name and address as
printed on the advertisement.
   (2) The text of the disclosure statement shall be contained in a
box with an outline that has a line weight of at least 5.25 pt. The
background color of the box shall be in a contrasting color to the
background of the advertisement. The outline of the box shall be in a
contrasting color to both the background color of the advertisement
and the background color of the box. The color of the text shall be
in a contrasting color to the background color of the box.
  SEC. 2.  Section 84507 of the Government Code is amended to read:
   84507.  Any disclosure statement required by this article shall be
printed clearly and legibly in no less than 18-point, bold, sans
serif type font and in a conspicuous manner as defined by the
commission or, if the communication is broadcast, the information
shall be spoken so as to be clearly audible and understood by the
intended public and otherwise appropriately conveyed for the hearing
impaired.
  SEC. 3.  No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the
Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the
meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.
  SEC. 4.  The Legislature finds and declares that this bill furthers
the purposes of the Political Reform Act of 1974 within the meaning
of subdivision (a) of Section 81012 of the Government Code.
   SEC. 5   .    This act is an urgency statute
necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace,
health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the
Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts
constituting the necessity are:  
   In order to protect the interests of Californians who are
empowered with the right to vote, it is appropriate that they be duly
informed and that their constitutional right to instruct their
representatives be protected. This purpose is best served by an
informed electorate. The need for greater transparency of
advertisement disclosures is vital to the interests of the State such
that this act must take effect immediately.