AB1511 - Political Reform Act of 1974: refunding and transferring contributions: voter information guide.

Assembly Bill No. 1511 CHAPTER 249 An act to amend Sections 81001, 81002, 84101, 84217, 85318, 85600, 85601, 88000, 88001, 88002, 88002.5, 88003, 88004, 88005, 88006, and 88007 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 1511, Committee on Elections. Political Reform Act of 1974: refunding and transferring contributions: voter information guide. (1) Existing law requires the Secretary of State to prepare a state voter information guide that includes, among other things, a complete copy of each state measure, the Voter Bill of Rights, and information on candidates for the office of United States Senator and the offices of President and Vice President of the United States, as specified. Existing law requires county elections officials to prepare a county voter information guide that contains, among other things, a substantial facsimile of the official ballot. This bill would conform provisions in the Political Reform Act of 1974 that currently refer to the ballot pamphlet or sample ballot to instead refer to the state voter information guide or county voter information guide, respectively. (2) The Political Reform Act of 1974 authorizes a candidate for elective state, county, or city office to raise contributions for a general election before the primary election, and for a special general election before a special primary election, for the same office under specified conditions. If the candidate is defeated in the primary election or special primary election, or otherwise withdraws from the general election or special general election, the act requires the candidate to refund the general election or special general election funds, as specified. Existing law, for purposes of these provisions, specifies that a candidate who does not file a declaration of candidacy to qualify for a primary election or special primary election is not required to refund the general election or special general election contributions, and that such a candidate may transfer these funds to a committee for the same or a different office as specified. This bill would instead provide that a candidate is not required to refund the general election or special general election contributions and may transfer these funds, as specified above, if the candidate’s name has not been listed on the ballot at a primary election or special primary election, and the candidate has not qualified to have write-in votes cast on their behalf, as specified. (3) This bill would also correct a cross-reference to federal law. 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. Digest Key Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting Section 6 of this bill to ensure that Senate Bill No. 948 (Chapter 125 of the Statutes of 2024) is interpreted consistent with the Fair Political Practices Commission’s advice in its Brown Advice Letter No. A-09-276 issued on January 25, 2010. SEC. 2. Section 81001 of the Government Code is amended to read: 81001. The people find and declare as follows: (a) State and local government should serve the needs and respond to the wishes of all citizens equally, without regard to their wealth; (b) Public officials, whether elected or appointed, should perform their duties in an impartial manner, free from bias caused by their own financial interests or the financial interests of persons who have supported them; (c) Costs of conducting election campaigns have increased greatly in recent years, and candidates have been forced to finance their campaigns by seeking large contributions from lobbyists and organizations who thereby gain disproportionate influence over governmental decisions; (d) The influence of large campaign contributors is increased because existing laws for disclosure of campaign receipts and expenditures have proved to be inadequate; (e) Lobbyists often make their contributions to incumbents who cannot be effectively challenged because of election laws and abusive practices which give the incumbent an unfair advantage; (f) The wealthy individuals and organizations which make large campaign contributions frequently extend their influence by employing lobbyists and spending large amounts to influence legislative and administrative actions; (g) The influence of large campaign contributors in ballot measure elections is increased because the state voter information guide mailed to the voters by the state is difficult to read and almost impossible for a layperson to understand; and (h) Previous laws regulating political practices have suffered from inadequate enforcement by state and local authorities. SEC. 3. Section 81002 of the Government Code is amended to read: 81002. The people enact this title to accomplish the following purposes: (a) Receipts and expenditures in election campaigns should be fully and truthfully disclosed in order that the voters may be fully informed and improper practices may be inhibited. (b) The activities of lobbyists should be regulated and their finances disclosed in order that improper influences will not be directed at public officials. (c) Assets and income of public officials which may be materially affected by their official actions should be disclosed and in appropriate circumstances the officials should be disqualified from acting in order that conflicts of interest may be avoided. (d) The state voter information guide should be converted into a useful document so that voters will not be entirely dependent on paid advertising for information regarding state measures. (e) Laws and practices unfairly favoring incumbents should be abolished in order that elections may be conducted more fairly. (f) Adequate enforcement mechanisms should be provided to public officials and private citizens in order that this title will be vigorously enforced. SEC. 4. Section 84101 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 1 of Chapter 180 of the Statutes of 2024, is amended to read: 84101. (a) A committee that is a committee by virtue of subdivision (a) of Section 82013 shall file a statement of organization. The committee shall file the original of the statement of organization with the Secretary of State and shall also file a copy of the statement of organization with the local filing officer, if any, with whom the committee is required to file an original campaign statement pursuant to Section 84215. The original and copy of the statement of organization shall be filed within 10 days after the committee has qualified as a committee. The Secretary of State shall assign a number to each committee that files a statement of organization and shall notify the committee of the number. The Secretary of State shall send a copy of statements filed pursuant to this section, with the information specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) redacted, to the county elections official of each county that the Secretary of State deems appropriate. A county elections official who receives a copy of a statement of organization from the Secretary of State pursuant to this section shall send a copy of the statement to the clerk of each city in the county that the county elections official deems appropriate. (b) In addition to filing the statement of organization as required by subdivision (a), if a committee qualifies as a committee under subdivision (a) of Section 82013 before the date of an election in connection with which the committee is required to file preelection statements, but after the closing date of the last campaign statement required to be filed before the election pursuant to Section 84200.8 or 84200.9, the committee shall file, by facsimile transmission, online transmission, guaranteed overnight delivery, or personal delivery within 24 hours of qualifying as a committee, the information required to be reported in the statement of organization. The information required by this subdivision shall be filed with the filing officer with whom the committee is required to file an original campaign statement pursuant to Section 84215. (c) If an independent expenditure committee qualifies as a committee pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 82013 during the time period described in Section 82036.5 and makes independent expenditures of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more to support or oppose a candidate or candidates for office, the committee shall file, by facsimile transmission, online transmission, guaranteed overnight delivery, or personal delivery within 24 hours of qualifying as a committee, the information required to be reported in the statement of organization. The information required by this section shall be filed with the filing officer with whom the committee is required to file an original campaign statement pursuant to Section 84215, and shall be filed at all locations required for the candidate or candidates supported or opposed by the independent expenditures. The filings required by this section are in addition to filings that may be required by Section 84204. (d) For purposes of this section, in calculating whether two thousand dollars ($2,000) in contributions has been received, payments for a filing fee or for a statement of qualifications to appear in a state or county voter information guide shall not be included if these payments have been made from the candidate’s personal funds. (e) (1) A committee may redact, or otherwise omit, a bank account number included on the copy of the statement of organization filed with the local filing officer pursuant to subdivision (a). A local filing officer shall not require a committee to disclose a bank account number on the copy of the statement of organization filed with the local filing officer as a condition of accepting that filing. (2) Notwithstanding Section 81008 or the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code), the Secretary of State shall redact the bank account number on a statement of organization filed with the Secretary of State before making the statement available to the public in any form. SEC. 5. Section 84217 of the Government Code is amended to read: 84217. When the Secretary of State receives any campaign statement filed pursuant to the federal Election Campaign Act, (52 U.S.C.A. Section 30101 et seq.) the Secretary of State shall send a copy of the statement to the following officers: (a) Statements of candidates for President, Vice President, or United States Senator and committees supporting such candidates—one copy with the Registrar-Recorder of Los Angeles County and one copy with the Registrar of Voters of the City and County of San Francisco; (b) Statements of candidates for United States Representative in Congress and committees supporting such candidates—one copy with the clerk of the county which contains the largest percentage of the registered voters in the election district which the candidate or any of the candidates seek nomination or election and one copy with the clerk of the county within which the candidate resides or in which the committee is domiciled, provided that if the committee is not domiciled in California the statement shall be sent to the Registrar-Recorder of Los Angeles County. No more than one copy of each statement need be filed with the clerk of any county. SEC. 6. Section 85318 of the Government Code is amended to read: 85318. (a) (1) A candidate for elective state, county, or city office may raise contributions for a general election before the primary election, and for a special general election before a special primary election, for the same elective state, county, or city office if the candidate sets aside these contributions and uses these contributions for the general election or special general election. If the candidate for elective state, county, or city office is defeated in the primary election or special primary election, or otherwise withdraws from the general election or special general election, the general election or special general election funds shall be refunded to the contributors on a pro rata basis less any expenses associated with the raising and administration of general election or special general election contributions. (2) A candidate whose name has not been listed on the ballot at a primary election or special primary election, and who has not qualified to have write-in votes cast on their behalf counted by elections officials for nomination or election to an elective office at a primary election or special primary election is not “defeated in the primary election or special primary election” and does not “otherwise withdraw from the general election or special general election” for the purposes of paragraph (1), and shall not be required to refund contributions pursuant to that paragraph. A candidate whose name has not been listed on the ballot at a primary election or special primary election, and who has not qualified to have write-in votes cast on their behalf counted by elections officials for nomination or election to an elective office at a primary election or special primary election, may transfer funds to a committee established for the same or a different office subject to the attribution rules provided by subdivision (a) of Section 85306. (3) Notwithstanding Section 85201, candidates for elective state, county, or city office may establish separate campaign contribution accounts for the primary and general elections or special primary and special general elections. (b) This section does not apply in a jurisdiction in which the county or city imposes a limit on contributions pursuant to Section 85702.5. SEC. 7. Section 85600 of the Government Code is amended to read: 85600. The Secretary of State shall designate in the state voter information guide those candidates for statewide elective office, as defined in Section 82053, who have voluntarily agreed to the expenditure limitations set forth in Section 85400. Local elections officers shall designate in the county voter information guide those candidates for State Senate and Assembly who have voluntarily agreed to the expenditure limitations set forth in Section 85400. SEC. 8. Section 85601 of the Government Code is amended to read: 85601. (a) A candidate for statewide elective office, as defined in Section 82053, who accepts the voluntary expenditure limits set forth in Section 85400 may purchase the space to place a statement in the state voter information guide that does not exceed 250 words. The state [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]