Behested payments: public appeal for payment.

Senator Allen's proposal to modify California's behested payment reporting requirements would create new exemptions for elected officials and Public Utilities Commission members who solicit contributions through public appeals. The legislation amends the Political Reform Act of 1974, which currently requires officials to report payments exceeding $5,000 from a single source within a calendar year when made at their behest.

Under the proposed changes, officials would not need to report payments received in response to public appeals made via television, radio, billboard, online platforms, or speeches to audiences of 100 or more people. However, this exemption would not apply in cases where payments could reasonably be expected to have a material financial effect on the official or their immediate family members that differs from impacts on the general public. The reporting requirement would also remain in place if an official knows that a specific payment was made in response to their public appeal.

The existing framework for behested payment reporting requires officials to file detailed information about such payments, including the payor's name and address, payment amounts and dates, payee details, and descriptions of any goods or services provided. These reports must be submitted to the official's agency within 30 days and subsequently forwarded to the Fair Political Practices Commission for state agencies or appropriate local oversight bodies for local agencies.