AB 1789

The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing, including requiring the reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures and imposing other reporting and recordkeeping requirements on campaign committees. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2029, require a candidate for elective office with a candidate controlled committee to complete a training course on the requirements of the Political Reform Act of 1974 with respect to campaigns for the office for which they intend to be a candidate. For a candidate who does not complete the training, the bill would prohibit the candidate controlled committee from receiving contributions until the candidate completes the training. The bill would, commencing January 1, 2029, also require the treasurer for a candidate controlled committee to complete a training course on the requirements of the act that apply to the committee. The bill would prohibit a committee whose treasurer does not complete the training course from accepting contributions until the training course is completed. The bill would exempt from these requirements an individual who is required to complete, and has completed, a similar training offered by a local government ethics agency. By prohibiting a committee’s receipt of contributions if specified conditions are not satisfied, as set forth above, the bill would create a new crime and thereby establish a state-mandated local program. 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. 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.