The Political Reform Act requires public officials, candidates, committees, and other covered persons to timely file specified campaign finance reports and statements of economic interests. Existing law generally imposes a $10 per day late-filing penalty, subject to statutory limits and specified circumstances in which a filing officer may decline to impose the penalty.
SB 1389 changes those penalties. For a late original statement of economic interests, the law caps late-filing liability at $100. For other original statements or reports, liability is capped at the aggregate amount of contributions, expenditures, and other amounts reported or $100, whichever is greater. The law also eliminates the $10 per day penalty for filing a late copy of a statement or report and revises the circumstances under which filing officers may excuse late filings.
Public agencies serving as filing officers should update their late-filing penalty procedures to apply the revised limits. Public officials and employees subject to statement-of-economic-interest requirements remain responsible for timely filing, but the statutory late penalties are modified.
SB 1389 amends section 91013 of the Government Code.
