Plain English Breakdown
The official text confirms the bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, but no specific effective date is listed in the provided metadata or summary.
AB-351: Changing Campaign Contribution Limits for Agency Officers
This law raises the limit on campaign contributions that agency officers may accept from parties with a financial interest in pending cases, and requires adjustments to this amount based on inflation.
What This Bill Does
- Increases the contribution threshold from $500 to $1,500 for agency officers accepting money while a proceeding is pending or within 12 months after a final decision.
- Prohibits an officer from using their official position to influence a decision if they have knowingly received more than $1,500 in contributions within the preceding 12 months from interested parties.
- Requires the commission to adjust these dollar amounts based on changes in the Consumer Price Index starting in January 2027 and every odd-numbered year after that.
- Declares that this change furthers the purposes of the Political Reform Act of 1974.
Who It Names or Affects
- Officers working for government agencies who handle proceedings involving licenses, permits, or other entitlements for use.
- Parties, participants, and their agents in those proceedings who have a financial interest as defined by law.
- The commission responsible for adjusting contribution limits based on inflation.
Terms To Know
- Agency officer
- A person working for an agency involved in decisions about licenses, permits, or other entitlements for use.
- Proceeding
- An official process before an agency involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use.
- Consumer Price Index (CPI)
- A measure of price changes used to adjust the dollar limits on contributions starting in 2027.
Limits and Unknowns
- The official text does not state a specific effective date for this law.
- Future contribution amounts depend on inflation data that has not yet been calculated.
- The source material defines the rules but does not explain how violations are punished.