Coordination of mass communications

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill prohibits a political action committee, independent expenditure committee, or other person from making expenditures for certain mass communications that are coordinated with a candidate or the candidate's agent or the legislative campaign committee or political party of the candidate's political party in violation of the contribution limits and source restrictions applicable to the candidate. Current law imposes this same prohibition on expenditures for express advocacy that are coordinated with a candidate, the candidate's agent, or an LCC or PP. Under current law, an expenditure is coordinated if either of the following applies: 1) the candidate, candidate's agent, LCC, or PP communicates directly with and specifically requests that the PAC, IEC, or other person make the expenditure and the PAC, IEC, or other person explicitly assents to the request before making the expenditure; or 2) the candidate, candidate's agent, LCC, or PP exercises control over the expenditure or the content, timing, location, form, intended audience, number, or frequency of the communication.

This bill eliminates the definition of coordination applicable to express advocacy expenditures and creates new definitions for coordination that apply to expenditures for express advocacy and to expenditures for a mass communication.

Who's behind it

21 lawmakers are its authors⁠. All 21 are Democrats.

6 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.