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Assembly requires campaign websites to carry 'paid for by' disclosures
Summary
The Assembly unanimously passed a bill requiring political committees to display a paid-for-by disclosure on public-facing websites. Sponsors said the measure modernizes transparency requirements to include web content; the change takes effect on the 60th day following enactment.
The Assembly passed legislation to require political committees to display a disclaimer identifying the committee responsible for any publicly accessible campaign website. The bill passed unanimously on the floor, Ayes 138, Nays 0.
Assemblymember McDonald explained the measure as a modernization of campaign disclosure rules. “The purpose of this bill is to require political committees to feature a disclaimer or disclosure identifying the political committee as responsible for any website,” McDonald said. He described the change as bringing state law into alignment with contemporary digital communications.
Members asked for technical clarifications about implementation. One question concerned whether placing the disclosure in a site header or footer would comply; the sponsor said yes, explaining that many sites use static headers and footers so a single update would appear on every page. The sponsor also said the statutory language will mirror federal law provisions and would cover candidate committees, parties and independent expenditure groups.
Supporters described the bill as providing clarity for voters and aligning disclosure rules across media. The measure requires the paid-for-by disclosure to appear on each page; the act will take effect on the 60th day after enactment.
Votes at a glance: Senate bill (calendar 92) — require paid-for-by disclosure on political websites; outcome: passed, Ayes 138, Nays 0.
