Elected officials and Public Utilities Commission members would report certain payments quarterly

Elected officials and Public Utilities Commission members would report covered payments they request on a quarterly schedule. These rules cover payments an elected official or Public Utilities Commission member asks someone else to make without giving full value in return. The payment must mainly support charity, lawmaking, or government work, and the official must not give full value in return. Government agency payments for lawmaking or government work do not count. Payments prompted by public appeals on television, radio, billboards, public online platforms, or in speeches generally need no report. A speech is not exempt if the official knows it is at a fundraising event and agrees in advance to speak, agrees to be featured in an appeal, or publicly asks for donations. The public appeal exemption does not apply if the official knows they, an immediate family member, or campaign or office staff hold a decision-making, salaried, founding, honorary board, or advisory board role at a nongovernment recipient. It also does not apply if the official learns within two years that a specific payment answered the appeal. Reports are generally due within 30 days after the relevant quarter ends. If an official learns later that a payment answered their public appeal, the first report’s deadline starts when they learn of it.

Elected officials and Public Utilities Commission members would add specified known nonprofit roles and agency matters to payment reports. A nonprofit role may belong to the official, an immediate family member, or campaign or office staff. For an agency matter, the payer must be a named party or the subject of the decision. Officials report only information they know. A covered nonprofit role must involve decision-making, salaried work, founding status, or a seat on an honorary or advisory board. An agency matter must be on a formal agenda or submitted for a decision the official may influence. Contracts, licenses, permits, and other specific decisions can count; decisions on laws that apply generally do not. An agency matter counts if it was before the agency when the payment was made or within the 12 months before it.

Elected officials and Public Utilities Commission members could estimate a reportable payment’s amount, date, or both under specified conditions. This option applies to elected officials and Public Utilities Commission members filing a covered payment report. The official must make reasonable efforts but be unable to get the exact amount or date from the recipient before the reporting deadline. The report must label the estimate, reflect the official’s best effort, and explain why the exact information is missing. A corrected report is due within 10 days after the official receives the information from the recipient.

Elected officials and Public Utilities Commission members would use the state’s online reporting system unless eligible local elected officials file locally. The state filing rule covers elected officials and Public Utilities Commission members. Local elected officials may instead file with their local filing officer. Local filing is allowed only if the local government posts all payment reports filed by its elected officials publicly online within 10 days of receiving them. The state system must confirm receipt immediately after receiving a report or correction.