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AB-359 Political Reform Act of 1974: postgovernment employment.(2019-2020)

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Date Published: 02/04/2019 09:00 PM
AB359:v99#DOCUMENT


CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 359

Introduced by Assembly Member Melendez

February 04, 2019

An act to amend Section 87406 of the Government Code, relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 359, as introduced, Melendez. Political Reform Act of 1974: postgovernment employment.
The Political Reform Act of 1974 prohibits a Member of the Legislature, for a period of one year after leaving office, from acting as a compensated agent or attorney for, or otherwise representing, any other person by making appearances before, or communications with, the Legislature or its committees, Members, or officers or employees, if the appearance or communication is made for the purpose of influencing legislative action. If the Member resigns from office, this prohibition applies from the effective date of the resignation until one year after the adjournment sine die of the session in which the resignation occurred.
This bill would extend the time periods for these prohibitions for a Member of the Legislature to 5 years.
Because a violation of the act is punishable as a misdemeanor, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act’s purposes upon a 2/3 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements.
This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 87406 of the Government Code is amended to read:

87406.
 (a) This section shall be known, and may be cited, as the Milton Marks Postgovernment Employment Restrictions Act of 1990.
(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a Member of the Legislature, for a period of one year five years after leaving office, shall not, for compensation, act as agent or attorney for, or otherwise represent, any other person by making any formal or informal appearance, or by making any oral or written communication, before the Legislature, any committee or subcommittee thereof, any present Member of the Legislature, or any officer or employee thereof, if the appearance or communication is made for the purpose of influencing legislative action.
(2) A Member of the Legislature who resigns from office, for a period commencing with the effective date of the resignation and concluding one year five years after the adjournment sine die of the session in which the resignation occurred, shall not, for compensation, act as agent or attorney for, or otherwise represent, any other person by making any formal or informal appearance, or by making any oral or written communication, before the Legislature, any committee or subcommittee thereof, any present Member of the Legislature, or any officer or employee thereof, if the appearance or communication is made for the purpose of influencing legislative action.
(c) An elected state officer, other than a Member of the Legislature, for a period of one year after leaving office, shall not, for compensation, act as agent or attorney for, or otherwise represent, any other person by making any formal or informal appearance, or by making any oral or written communication, before any state administrative agency, or any officer or employee thereof, if the appearance or communication is for the purpose of influencing administrative action, or influencing any action or proceeding involving the issuance, amendment, awarding, or revocation of a permit, license, grant, or contract, or the sale or purchase of goods or property. For purposes of this subdivision, an appearance before a “state administrative agency” does not include an appearance in a court of law, before an administrative law judge, or before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board.
(d) (1) A designated employee of a state administrative agency, any officer, employee, or consultant of a state administrative agency who holds a position that entails the making, or participation in the making, of decisions that may foreseeably have a material effect on any financial interest, and a member of a state administrative agency, for a period of one year after leaving office or employment, shall not, for compensation, act as agent or attorney for, or otherwise represent, any other person, by making any formal or informal appearance, or by making any oral or written communication, before any state administrative agency, or officer or employee thereof, for which he or she the person worked or represented during the 12 months before leaving office or employment, if the appearance or communication is made for the purpose of influencing administrative or legislative action, or influencing any action or proceeding involving the issuance, amendment, awarding, or revocation of a permit, license, grant, or contract, or the sale or purchase of goods or property. For purposes of this paragraph, an appearance before a state administrative agency does not include an appearance in a court of law, before an administrative law judge, or before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. The prohibition of this paragraph only applies to designated employees employed by a state administrative agency on or after January 7, 1991.
(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), a state administrative agency of a designated employee of the Governor’s office includes any state administrative agency subject to the direction and control of the Governor.
(e) The prohibitions contained in subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) do not apply to any individual subject to this section who is or becomes either of the following:
(1) An officer or employee of another state agency, board, or commission if the appearance or communication is for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action on behalf of the state agency, board, or commission.
(2) An official holding an elective office of a local government agency if the appearance or communication is for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action on behalf of the local government agency.

SEC. 2.

 No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.

SEC. 3.

 The Legislature finds and declares that this bill furthers the purposes of the Political Reform Act of 1974 within the meaning of subdivision (a) of Section 81012 of the Government Code.