Last Updated May 7, 2025
Federal Legislation
H.R. 22, S. 128: The Save Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act) has been reintroduced in the 119th Congress and seeks to amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of United States citizenship to register an individual to vote in elections for Federal office. The House of Representatives has passed the bill and it has advanced to the Senate.
State Legislation
The last day for policy committees to hear and report to the Floor nonfiscal bills introduced in their house is May 9. The last day for each house to pass bills introduced in that house is June 6.
AB 775: changes behested payment reporting deadline to within 30 days of the end of the calendar quarter; subsequent reports for the same source would be due within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter each time those payments equal or exceed $1,000 in the aggregate. Requires use of the FPPC’s electronic filing system for these reports, or direct local filing if reports are posted publicly on the local agency’s website. Codifies two FPPC regulations which specify additional information that must be reported on a behested payment report and permit a good faith estimate of the behested payment amount to be reported.
AB 950: Allows the names of top campaign contributors that are required to be disclosed on campaign advertisements to be shortened or abbreviated in certain circumstances. Changes the use of commas in large print ad disclaimers to clearly visible bullet points or by inserting the applicable number (1, 2, or 3) before the names of the 3 largest contributors. Changes IE language in a disclaimer to: “Not paid for by a candidate.”
AB 953: expands the contribution prohibitions applicable to foreign governments and foreign principals to foreign nationals (a person who is not a citizen of the United States and who is not a lawfully admitted permanent resident). Excludes Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipients from this prohibition.
AB 1029: beginning January 1, 2027, expands the definition of “investment” to include a digital financial asset (i.e., cryptocurrency), and would specifically require public officials to disclose interests in their digital financial assets.
AB 1188: Requires ballots to contain detailed information about the top contributors to campaign committees formed to support and oppose statewide initiatives and referenda. Requires signers of statewide initiative and referendum petitions to initial and date the petition to indicate that they have reviewed a disclosure of the top funders to the committee circulating the petition.
AB 1370: prohibits Members of the Legislature from entering into, or requesting that another party enter into, a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) relating to the drafting, negotiation, or discussion of proposed legislation.
AB 1511: provides that a candidate is not required to refund general election contributions, and may transfer these funds, if the candidate’s name has not been listed on the ballot at a primary election, and the candidate has not qualified as a write-in candidate.
AB 1512: requires, generally, that when local ballot measures appear on the ballot, the voting options that appear on the ballot shall be presented as the words “Yes” and “No,” printed on separate lines with voting targets, to the right of or below the statement of the measure to be voted on.
SB 280: includes local government offices and legislative district offices among the locations where a person cannot receive nor deliver a campaign contribution.
SB 321: requires a committee that makes a late signature curing expenditure (an expenditure made by a committee related to ballot curing activities that occurs after the date of the election and before the certification of the election) to report it within 24 hours of the time it is made.
SB 644: extends AB571 contribution limits to judicial, school district, and community college district candidates, effective 1/1/2027.
SCA 3 / SB 458: requires the Legislative Analyst Office, instead of the Attorney General, to prepare ballot titles and summaries.