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Assembly committee advances bill to modernize behested-payment reporting
Summary
AB 775 would extend filing deadlines for behested-payment reports, require online filing with the Fair Political Practices Commission and set a lower $1,000 threshold for follow-up payments; the committee voted to pass the bill as amended and re-refer it to appropriations.
The California State Assembly Elections Committee on March 26 voted to pass AB 775, a bill to modernize reporting of behested payments (payments made at the request or on behalf of an official for legislative, governmental or charitable purposes), and re-refer the bill to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.
AB 775, authored by Assemblymember Fong, would change the filing deadline for behested-payment reports so that reports are due within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which a payment is received; require filing through the Fair Political Practices Commission's electronic system for state officials and give local elected officials the option to file directly with the FPPC or with their agency only if the agency publicly posts the reports; and establish a $1,000 threshold for reporting additional payments from the same donor after an initial behested-payment report has been filed.
Why it matters: supporters told the committee the changes are intended to streamline filings, make behested-payment information more consistently available online and give officials more time to comply. Adam Silver, chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission, testified the commission strongly supports AB 775 and said that requiring online disclosure and uniform quarterly deadlines would make behested payments timely and easy to monitor. Silver also said the bill codifies FPPC regulations requiring disclosure of relevant proceedings and relationships tied to behested payments.
Committee members generally praised the bill's transparency goals and discussed working with the author to make the filing process easier for candidates and local officials. No primary witnesses opposed the bill during the hearing.
The committee approved the bill as amended and ordered it to the appropriations committee. The reported vote was recorded as unanimous among members present.
