SB 1422: Disclosures: Travel DISCLOSE Act.

Under existing law, a nonprofit organization that regularly organizes and hosts travel for elected officials and spends more than $10,000 in a calendar year, or more than $5,000 in a calendar year for a single person, for travel by an elected state officer or local elected officeholder, must disclose to the Fair Political Practices Commission the names of donors who, in the preceding year, donated more than $1,000 to the nonprofit organization and accompanied an elected state officer or local elected officeholder for any portion of the travel, as specified. Under existing law, this requirement applies only if the sum of the organizations expenses relating to travel, study tours, or conferences, conventions, and meetings, was greater than one-third of the organizations total expenses, as specified.

This bill would instead require any person that regularly organizes and hosts travel for elected officials and spends more than $10,000 in a calendar year, or more than $5,000 in a calendar year for a single person, for travel by an elected state officer or local elected officeholder, to file certain disclosures with the commission. A violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 is punishable as a misdemeanor. By creating a new crime, this bill would impose 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 acts 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.