Fair Political Practices Commission.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not specify which local government agencies will enter into agreements with the FPPC, leaving this detail uncertain.

Fair Political Practices Commission

AB-359 allows the Fair Political Practices Commission to conduct audits and manage local government agencies' campaign finance and ethics laws with mutual agreement, while removing reporting requirements to the Legislature.

What This Bill Does

• Allows the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) to assume primary responsibility for administering, implementing, and enforcing local campaign finance or government ethics laws upon mutual agreement between the FPPC and a local government agency's governing body.
• Gives the FPPC permission to provide advice, investigate possible violations, and bring civil actions related to these local laws.
• Permits the FPPC to conduct audits with respect to local campaign finance or government ethics laws.
• Removes the requirement for the FPPC to report to the Legislature on its performance of agreements.

Who It Names or Affects

• Local government agencies in California
• The Fair Political Practices Commission

Terms To Know

Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC)

A state agency that enforces campaign finance and ethics laws.

Mutual agreement

An arrangement agreed upon by two or more parties.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify which local government agencies will enter into agreements with the FPPC.
• The bill does not provide details on how audits will be conducted or what they will cover.

Official Summary Text

AB 359, Ramos.
Fair Political Practices Commission.
The Political Reform Act of 1974 permits the Fair Political Practices Commission, upon mutual agreement between the commission and the governing body of a local government agency, to assume primary responsibility for the administration, implementation, and enforcement of a local campaign finance or government ethics law passed by the local government agency. The act authorizes the commission with respect to the local campaign finance or government ethics law to, among other things, provide advice, investigate possible violations, and bring civil actions. If such an agreement is executed, the act further requires the commission to report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2025 with specified information, including legislative recommendations, regarding the performance of the agreement. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2026.
The act authorizes the commission to enter into a similar agreement with the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Bernardino.
This bill would additionally authorize the commission to conduct audits with respect to the local campaign finance or government ethics law. The bill would delete the requirement for the commission to report to the Legislature and remove the January 1, 2026 repeal date, thereby indefinitely extending the operation of the provisions described above. The bill would repeal the provisions pertaining to the County of San Bernardino.
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.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF