Assembly Bill No. 3575
CHAPTER 1136
An act relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974.
[Approved by Governor September 29, 1994. Filed with
Secretary of State September 30, 1994.]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
- The existing Political Reform Act of 1974 requires candidates, government officers and employees, lobbyists, lobbying firms, and lobbyist employers to file various documents, statements, and certifications disclosing information regarding specified activities and financial interests.
- This bill would express legislative intent with regard to the development of a system to permit persons required to file reports under the Political Reform Act of 1974 to file all reports electronically or by computer diskette and to provide the availability of this information to the public through on-line public access computer networks. The bill would, with respect to all reports required to be filed with the Secretary of State under the Political Reform Act of 1974, require the Secretary of State to study, as specified, the options for a computerized system through which these reports would be filed, maintained, and made available to the public. The bill would require the Secretary of State to report in writing to the Legislature on the results of this study no later than January 1, 1996.
- This bill would express legislative intent with regard to the development of a system to permit persons required to file reports under the Political Reform Act of 1974 to file all reports electronically or by computer diskette and to provide the availability of this information to the public through on-line public access computer networks. The bill would, with respect to all reports required to be filed with the Secretary of State under the Political Reform Act of 1974, require the Secretary of State to study, as specified, the options for a computerized system through which these reports would be filed, maintained, and made available to the public. The bill would require the Secretary of State to report in writing to the Legislature on the results of this study no later than January 1, 1996.
- SECTION 1. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that a system be developed to permit persons required to file reports under the Political Reform Act of 1974 to file all reports electronically or by computer diskette and that this information be made available to the public by on-line public access computer networks.
- (b) With respect to all reports required to be filed with the Secretary of State under the Political Reform Act of 1974, the Secretary of State shall study the options for a computerized system through which these reports would be filed, maintained, and made available to the public.
- (c) In conducting the study required by this section, the Secretary of State shall do both of the following:
- (1) Consider the potential costs of the computerized system under consideration to the office of the Secretary of State, to local officials, and to persons required to file the reports under study.
- (2) Create, and be assisted by, an advisory committee composed of technical experts, persons required to file the reports under study, and local officials.
- (3) Determine whether similar information required by local agencies may be centralized into a single electronic filing system within the office of the Secretary of State.
- (d) The Secretary of State shall report in writing to the Legislature no later than January 1, 1996, on the results of the study required by this section.
- (b) With respect to all reports required to be filed with the Secretary of State under the Political Reform Act of 1974, the Secretary of State shall study the options for a computerized system through which these reports would be filed, maintained, and made available to the public.