AB808 - Campaign statements and registrations: filing online or electronically.

Assembly Bill No. 808 CHAPTER 278 An act to amend Sections 81007, 81007.5, 81009, 81010, 82006, 82015, 82018, 82022.5, 82025, 82046, 83113, 84100, 84101, 84101.5, 84102, 84103, 84104, 84106, 84108, 84200, 84200.5, 84200.8, 84200.9, 84202.3, 84202.7, 84203, 84204, 84204.5, 84205, 84207, 84209, 84211, 84212, 84213, 84214, 84215, 84218, 84219, 84222, 84223, 84224, 84226, 84252, 84300, 84302, 84303, 84306, 84502, 84504.6, 84602, 84605, 84612, 84615, 84616, 85200, 85201, 85307, 85400, 85505, 85704, 86116, 89502, 89503, 89511.5, 89517.5, 89517.6, 90001, 90002, 90004, 91010, 91011, and 91013 of, and to repeal Sections 84206 and 84603 of, the Government Code, relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974. [ Approved by Governor October 03, 2025. Filed with Secretary of State October 03, 2025. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 808, Addis. Campaign statements and registrations: filing online or electronically. (1) The Political Reform Act of 1974 authorizes specified campaign disclosure reports and statements of financial interest to be filed by fax, provided that the required originals or paper copies are sent by first-class mail or by any other personal delivery within 24 hours of the applicable deadline. The act generally authorizes other reports filed by candidates for elective office, committees formed primarily to support or oppose a candidate for public office or a ballot measure, and other entities to be filed by various means, including personal delivery, guaranteed overnight delivery, facsimile transmission, and online transmission. This bill would eliminate the option to file various statements and reports by facsimile transmission and would authorize certain reports to be filed by email. (2) Existing law defines “campaign statement” for purposes of the act to mean an itemized report that is prepared on a form or in a manner prescribed by the Fair Political Practices Commission and that provides specified information. The act requires specified committees to file a statement of organization online or electronically with the Secretary of State. This bill would replace the term “campaign statement” with “campaign report” and the term “statement of organization” with “registration” throughout the act. The bill would further define “campaign report” to mean an itemized report that is prepared in a manner prescribed by the commission. (3) Under the act, if a committee is required to file a campaign statement or report disclosing an independent expenditure, a verification statement must accompany the campaign statement or report, as specified. The bill would clarify that this provision applies to both semiannual and preelection statements disclosing an independent expenditure. (4) Existing law requires the commission to provide a short form for filing reports for candidates and officeholders who receive contributions of less than $2,000, and who make expenditures of less than $2,000, in a calendar year. This bill would repeal that provision. (5) Existing law prohibits a candidate for elective state, county, or city office from personally loaning to the candidate’s campaign an amount for which the outstanding balance exceeds $100,000. The act prohibits a candidate from charging interest on any such loan. This bill would remove the $100,000 cap on the outstanding balance of a candidate’s personal loan to their campaign. (6) The act requires the Fair Political Practices Commission to annually publish a booklet by March 1 that sets forth the provisions of the act and includes other information that the commission deems pertinent to the interpretation and enforcement of the act. This bill would instead require the commission to annually publish the provisions of the act by that date. (7) The act requires the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Fair Political Practices Commission, to develop online and electronic filing processes for persons and entities that are required to file statements and reports with the Secretary of State’s office. Before making the system available for public use, the act requires the Secretary of State to certify that the system meets all statutory requirements. Once all requirements have been met, the act requires the Secretary of State to make public their availability to accept reports online or electronically and authorizes any filer to voluntarily file specified reports and statements with the Secretary of State. This bill would delete the provision regarding the voluntary filing of reports and it would require persons who, and entities that, are required to file online or electronically to file all subsequent reports online or electronically. The bill would make other conforming changes in anticipation of reports being filed online or electronically using the new system. A violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 is punishable as a misdemeanor. By imposing new requirements on persons and entities filing reports with the new electronic filing system, the bill would expand the scope of a crime and impose a state-mandated local program. (8) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 84224 of the Government Code proposed by SB 760, to be operative only if this bill and SB 760 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 89517.5 of the Government Code proposed by AB 789, to be operative only if this bill and AB 789 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. (9) This bill would make its provisions contingent upon the Secretary of State certifying the above-described online electronic filing system for public use. (10) 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 of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act. (11) 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. Digest Key Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 81007 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 2 of Chapter 662 of the Statutes of 2018, is amended to read: 81007. When a report or statement or copies thereof required to be filed in paper format with any filing officer under this title has been sent by first-class mail or by any other guaranteed overnight delivery service addressed to the filing officer, it shall for purposes of any deadline be deemed to have been received by the filing officer on the date of the deposit in the mail or of receipt by that delivery service. It shall be presumed until the contrary is established that any date stamped by the post office on the envelope or contained on the delivery service receipt containing the report or statement is the date it was deposited in the mail or received by the delivery service. Mail that is not received by the filing officer shall be presumed not to have been sent unless the filer possesses a post office or delivery service receipt establishing the date of deposit and the name and address of the addressee. SEC. 2. Section 81007.5 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 3 of Chapter 662 of the Statutes of 2018, is amended to read: 81007.5. (a) Any report or statement or copies thereof required to be filed with any official under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 84100) or Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 87100), other than a report or statement that is required to be filed online or electronically with the Secretary of State in accordance with this title or with a local government agency in accordance with an ordinance adopted by the agency pursuant to Section 84615, may be emailed by the applicable deadline, provided that the required originals or paper copies are sent by first-class mail or by any other personal delivery or guaranteed overnight delivery service within 24 hours of the applicable deadline. (b) An emailed report or statement shall not be considered filed if the emailed report or statement is not a true and correct copy of the original. (c) A filing officer who receives an emailed report or statement shall make the report or statement available to the public in the same manner as provided in Section 81008. SEC. 3. Section 81009 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 2 of Chapter 211 of the Statutes of 2024, is amended to read: 81009. (a) Registrations and original campaign reports of persons holding elective state office, candidates for any such office, committees supporting any such officeholder or candidate, and committees supporting or opposing statewide measures, shall be retained by filing officers indefinitely. (b) Original campaign reports of mayors, city council members, county supervisors, candidates for any of these offices, and committees supporting any officeholder or candidate shall be retained indefinitely, except that original campaign reports of candidates not elected to these offices and of committees supporting candidates not elected to these offices shall be retained by filing officers for a period of at least five years. (c) Original campaign reports of all other persons shall be retained by filing officers for at least seven years. (d) Original statements of economic interests of persons holding statewide elective office shall be retained by filing officers indefinitely. (e) Original reports and statements not specified above in this section shall be retained by filing officers for at least seven years. (f) Copies of reports or statements shall be retained by the officer with whom they are filed for at least four years, provided, however, that a filing officer is not required to retain more than one copy of a report or statement. (g) (1) If an original report or statement or a copy is filed in a paper format, the officer with whom it is filed may comply with this section by retaining either of the following available for public inspection: (A) The original report or statement or copy filed in a paper format. (B) An electronic copy. (2) Upon request, the office shall provide copies of such statements pursuant to Section 81008. (3) Reports and statements filed online or electronically under this title shall be retained and archived pursuant to this section and Sections 84602 and 84615. SEC. 4. Section 81010 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 6 of Chapter 662 of the Statutes of 2018, is amended to read: 81010. For reports and statements filed with a filing officer pursuant to this title, the filing officer shall do all of the following: (a) Supply the necessary reports and manuals prescribed by the Commission. (b) Determine whether required information has been filed and, if so, whether it conforms on its face with the requirements of this title. (c) Notify promptly all persons and known committees who have failed to file a report or statement in the manner and at the time required by this title. (d) Report apparent violations of this title to the appropriate agencies. (e) Compile and maintain a current list of all reports and statements filed with this office. SEC. 5. Section 82006 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 7 of Chapter 662 of the Statutes of 2018, is amended to read: 82006. “Campaign report” means an itemized report that is prepared in a manner prescribed by the Commission and that provides the information required by Chapters 4 and 5 of this title. SEC. 6. Section 82015 of the Government Code is amended to read: 82015. (a) “Contribution” means a payment, a forgiveness of a loan, a payment of a loan by a third party, or an enforceable promise to make a payment, except to the extent that full and adequate consideration is received or if it is clear from the surrounding circumstances that the payment is not made for political purposes. (b) “Contribution” includes all of the following: (1) The purchase of tickets for events such as dinners, luncheons, rallies, and similar fundraising events; the candidate’s own money or property used on behalf of the candidate’s candidacy, other than personal funds of the candidate used to pay either a filing fee for a declaration of candidacy or a candidate statement prepared pursuant to Section 13307 of the Elections Code; the granting of discounts or rebates not extended to the public generally or the granting of discounts or rebates by television and radio stations and newspapers not extended on an equal basis to all candidates for the same office; the payment of compensation by any person for the personal services or expenses of any other person if the services are rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of a candidate or committee without payment of full and adequate consideration. (2) The transfer of anything of value received by a committee from another committee, unless full and adequate consideration is received. (3) The payment of public moneys by a state or local governmental agency for a communication to the public that satisfies both of the following: (A) The communication expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or the qualification, passage, or defeat of a clearly identified measure, or, taken as a whole and in context, unambiguously urges a particular result in an election. (B) The communication is made at the behest of the affected candidate or committee. (4) A payment made by a person to a multipurpose organization as defined and described in Section 84222. (5) (A) A payment made by a lobbyist or a cohabitant of a lobbyist for costs related to a fundraising event held at the home of the lobbyist, including the value of the use of the home as a fundraising event venue. A payment described in this paragraph is attributable to the lobbyist for purposes of Section 85702. (B) A payment made by a lobbying firm for costs related to a fundraising event held at the office of the lobbying firm, including the value of the use of the office as a fundraising event venue. (c) “Contribution” does not include any of the following: (1) Amounts received pursuant to an enforceable promise to the extent those amounts have been previously reported as a contribution. However, the fact that those amounts have been received shall be indicated in the appropriate campaign report. (2) Except as provided in paragraph (5) of subdivision (b), a payment made by an occupant of a home or office for costs related to any meeting or fundraising event held in the occupant’s home or office if the costs for the meeting or fundraising event are five hundred dollars ($500) or less. (3) Volunteer personal services or payments made by any individual for the individual’s own travel expenses if [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]