SB 741

This bill implements a number of recommendations from the Ethics

Commission (the commission) regarding the operations of the commission and the

laws that it administers.

campaign finance

Registration statement information

Under current law, a person who files a registration statement with the

commission, or with some other appropriate filing officer, to form a committee for

campaign finance purposes must include on the registration statement the name and

mailing address of the committee, the committee treasurer, and any other custodian

of committee books and accounts. This bill also requires that a person include on a

committee registration statement the email address and personal telephone number

of the committee treasurer and any other custodian of the committee books and

records. In addition, a candidate committee is required to provide the candidate's

email and personal telephone number. Under the bill, the personal telephone

numbers provided on the registration statements are confidential and not subject to

inspection and copying as a public record.

Second candidate committee

Current law allows, but does not require, an individual who holds a state or

local elective office and who seeks a different state or local elective office to form a

second candidate committee. Otherwise current law prohibits a candidate from

having more than one candidate committee at the same time. For individuals who

establish a second candidate committee, as provided under current law, the bill

specifies the methods for transferring funds between the two committees, how to

report those transfers, and how to dispose of funds remaining when one or both

committees terminate.

Conduit; residual funds

Under current law, a conduit must also register with the commission. A conduit

is an entity that receives a contribution from an individual, deposits that

contribution in an account held by the entity, and disburses that contribution to a

political committee at the direction of the individual who made the contribution. The

bill specifies what the conduit must do with funds remaining in its possession when

the conduit terminates. Under current law, the conduit must first make a good faith

effort to return remaining funds to the original contributors, their surviving spouses,

or the executors of their estates. Under the bill, if the terminating conduit is

unsuccessful in contacting the individuals who made the original contributions,

their surviving spouses, or the executors of their estates, the conduit may donate

those remaining funds to the common school fund or to a charitable organization.

However, the conduit may not donate remaining funds to a charitable organization

that is affiliated with the conduit or a sponsoring organization. Current law defines

a sponsoring organization as an entity that establishes, administers, or financially