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Committee hears bill to shorten and standardize campaign-ad disclosures for billboards
Summary
SB 900 would permit formatting and abbreviation changes to improve readability of campaign-ad disclosures on billboards and other large-print ads, while keeping FPPC identification; advertisers and clean-money advocates supported the balance. Committee moved the bill forward to appropriations.
Sen. McNerney told the committee SB 900 "strengthens the California existing campaign disclosure rules by making formatting changes to better clarify who is paying for political advertisements," emphasizing the practical problem that lengthy disclosures can occupy too much of an outdoor sign's space. He framed the bill as preserving transparency while improving readability.
Audrey Rytajcak of the California State Outdoor Advertising Association testified in strong support, saying current disclosure texts can take up nearly half of some billboards and "when disclosures overwhelm the sign, it not only limits readability but also undermines the intent of the law by making the information harder, not easier for the voters to understand." Trent Lang of the California Clean Money Campaign, a cosponsor, told the committee SB 900 "builds on last year's AB 950" and urged the panel to clarify thresholds for font size and spacing so that yard and rally signs are not unintentionally made unreadable.
The chair recommended continued stakeholder engagement; members moved and voted to pass SB 900 and refer it to the Appropriations Committee with the committee's concurrence pending absent members' roll calls.
