Political Reform Act of 1974: Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Led by Chair Cervantes and the Committee on Elections and Constitutional Amendments, the measure coordinates changes to the Citizens Redistricting Commission’s vacancy and removal processes with revisions to the Political Reform Act’s amendment framework, expands the prohibition on in-person campaign contributions in government spaces, and broadens electronic filing requirements for statements of economic interests, thereby aligning CRC governance, ethics oversight, and disclosure with the state’s reform program.

Core changes address four areas. First, the Citizens Redistricting Commission’s vacancy rules establish timelines and selection mechanics: vacancies before December 31 of a year ending in 2 must be filled within 30 days from the vacancy, using the remaining subpool of applicants in the same voter registration category after legislative leaders’ strikes; vacancies on or after December 31 of that year may be filled from the same subpool. If suitable candidates are unavailable, the State Auditor creates a new subpool. Second, the amendment framework for the Political Reform Act is reaffirmed to allow amendments by statute with a two-thirds legislative vote and public notice, including final form printed, distributed to legislators, and published online, with an elector-approval path available for amendments. Third, the prohibition on campaign contributions is expanded to prevent receiving, delivering, or attempting to deliver contributions in the State Capitol, any state or local government office building, or offices funded by state or local government rents; the bill defines key terms such as “personally deliver” and “state or local government office building,” and removes a former exemption for legislative district offices. Fourth, the scope of who must file economic interests with the FPPC is broadened to include public officials who manage public investments, and the filing framework is adjusted to require electronic filing for a wider set of offices and officials, with filings by others routed through respective agencies or code-reviewing bodies as appropriate.

The measure also clarifies alignment with existing reform mandates by attaching findings to the changes and establishing that no local reimbursement is required, while signaling that potential administrative and system-wide implications may arise for FPPC capacity and agency conflict-of-interest processes. In its broader context, the package situates CRC operations, campaign-finance governance, and disclosure obligations within the Voters FIRST Act and the Political Reform Act framework, signaling an emphasis on structured vacancy management, formal amendment procedures, standardized electronic filing, and defined limits on in-person political activity within government spaces. Implementation would likely entail updates to conflict-of-interest codes, agency training, and FPPC-system capacity to accommodate an expanded roster of electronic filers.