The Political Reform Act of 1974: late filing of reports.

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Limits on Late Filing Penalties for Political Reports

The bill sets limits on penalties for late filings of political reports and statements, including campaign finance information.

What This Bill Does

• Sets a $100 limit on penalties for the late filing of an original statement of economic interest.
• Limits the penalty for other original statements or reports to either the total amount reported in contributions, expenditures, and other amounts, or $100, whichever is greater.
• Removes the daily $10 penalty for filing a late copy of any report or statement.
• Eliminates an exception that previously allowed candidates for certain state and local offices to avoid penalties if they file their statements within 30 days after receiving notice.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who file campaign finance reports and other political documents
• Filing officers responsible for enforcing filing deadlines

Terms To Know

Statement of economic interest

A document that certain people must file to report their financial interests, including those running for public office.

Campaign finance reports

Documents that detail the money raised and spent by political campaigns or organizations.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how late filings will be enforced after these changes.
• It is unclear if there are any exceptions to the new penalties for specific circumstances.

Official Summary Text

SB 1389, as amended, Dahle.
The Political Reform Act of 1974: late filing of reports.
Under the Political Reform Act of 1974, a person who files an original statement or report related to campaign financing, or a copy of the statement or report, after a deadline imposed by the act is liable in the amount of $10 per day after the deadline until the statement or report is
filed, as specified.
filed, up to the cumulative amount stated in the late statement or report or $100, whichever is greater.
For original statements or reports, existing law authorizes a filing officer to not impose this liability if the officer determines that the late filing was not willful and that enforcement of the liability will not further the purposes of the act, except in specified cases, including if a
statement of economic interest, other than the statement of a candidate for specified state and local offices, is not filed within 30 days after the filing officer has sent specific written notice of the filing requirement.
This
bill would establish a limit on liability of $100 for the late filing of an original statement of economic interest. For any other original statement or report, the bill would limit liability for a late filing at an amount equal to the aggregate amount of any contributions, expenditures, and other amounts reported on the statement or report, or $100, whichever is greater. The
bill would remove the provision imposing liability in the amount of $10 for the filing of a late copy of a statement or report. The bill would also remove the exception to liability if the statement of a candidate for specified state and local offices is not filed
within 30 days after the filing officer has sent specific written notice of the filing requirement, thereby penalizing such a late filing in the same manner as the late filing of other statements of economic interest.
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