Campaign statements and registrations: filing online or electronically.

Assembly Member Addis's legislation modernizes California's campaign finance reporting system by mandating electronic filing requirements and updating disclosure processes under the Political Reform Act of 1974. The bill eliminates facsimile transmission options for campaign statements and reports, requiring online or electronic submission through a new filing system to be certified by the Secretary of State.

The legislation redefines key terms throughout the Act, replacing "campaign statement" with "campaign report" and "statement of organization" with "registration" to align with contemporary filing practices. It removes the existing $100,000 cap on outstanding balances for candidates' personal campaign loans while maintaining prohibitions on charging interest on such loans. The bill also streamlines the Fair Political Practices Commission's publication requirements, directing the commission to annually publish the Act's provisions rather than a comprehensive interpretive booklet.

Once the Secretary of State certifies the new online filing system, committees and candidates must file all subsequent reports electronically. The system will maintain filed data for at least 20 years and enable public tracking of contributions across filers using permanent unique identifiers. Local government agencies may also require electronic filing for certain candidates and committees, provided they adopt appropriate ordinances and ensure free public access to filed information.

The legislation's implementation is contingent upon certification of the online filing system by the Secretary of State. The bill expands enforcement provisions by classifying certain violations as misdemeanors and establishing specific penalties for late filings, while maintaining existing audit requirements for campaign committees and lobbying entities.