Chapter 2. Definitions of California Government Code >> Title 9. >> Chapter 2.

Unless the contrary is stated or clearly appears from the context, the definitions set forth in this chapter shall govern the interpretation of this title.

"Adjusting an amount for cost-of-living changes" means adjusting the amount received the previous year by an amount determined at the beginning of each fiscal year by the Director of Finance corresponding to amounts authorized from the salary and price increase items as set forth in the Budget Act and other cost-of-living adjustments on the same basis as those applied routinely to other state agencies.

(a) "Administrative action" means either of the following:
  (1) The proposal, drafting, development, consideration, amendment, enactment, or defeat by any state agency of any rule, regulation, or other action in any ratemaking proceeding or any quasi-legislative proceeding, which shall include any proceeding governed by Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2.
  (2) With regard only to placement agents, the decision by any state agency to enter into a contract to invest state public retirement system assets on behalf of a state public retirement system.
  (b) "Ratemaking proceeding" means, for the purposes of a proceeding before the Public Utilities Commission, any proceeding in which it is reasonably foreseeable that a rate will be established, including, but not limited to, general rate cases, performance-based ratemaking, and other ratesetting mechanisms.
  (c) "Quasi-legislative proceeding" means, for purposes of a proceeding before the Public Utilities Commission, any proceeding that involves consideration of the establishment of a policy that will apply generally to a group or class of persons, including, but not limited to, rulemakings and investigations that may establish rules affecting an entire industry.

"Agency" means any state agency or local government agency.

"Agency official" means any member, officer, employee or consultant of any state agency who as part of his official responsibilities participates in any administrative action in other than a purely clerical, secretarial or ministerial capacity.

"Business entity" means any organization or enterprise operated for profit, including but not limited to a proprietorship, partnership, firm, business trust, joint venture, syndicate, corporation or association.

"Campaign statement" means an itemized report which is prepared on a form prescribed by the Commission and which provides the information required by Chapter 4 of this title.

"Candidate" means an individual who is listed on the ballot or who has qualified to have write-in votes on his or her behalf counted by election officials, for nomination for or election to any elective office, or who receives a contribution or makes an expenditure or gives his or her consent for any other person to receive a contribution or make an expenditure with a view to bringing about his or her nomination or election to any elective office, whether or not the specific elective office for which he or she will seek nomination or election is known at the time the contribution is received or the expenditure is made and whether or not he or she has announced his or her candidacy or filed a declaration of candidacy at such time. "Candidate" also includes any officeholder who is the subject of a recall election. An individual who becomes a candidate shall retain his or her status as a candidate until such time as that status is terminated pursuant to Section 84214. "Candidate" does not include any person within the meaning of Section 301(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.

"City" means a general law or a chartered city.

"Civil service employee" means any state employee who is covered by the state civil service system or any employee of a local government agency who is covered by a similar personnel system.

"Clerk" refers to the city or county clerk unless the city council or board of supervisors has designated any other agency to perform the specified function.

"Closing date" means the date through which any report or statement filed under this title is required to be complete.

"Code reviewing body" means all of the following:
  (a) The commission, with respect to the conflict-of-interest code of a state agency other than an agency in the judicial branch of government, or any local government agency with jurisdiction in more than one county.
  (b) The board of supervisors, with respect to the conflict-of-interest code of any county agency other than the board of supervisors, or any agency of the judicial branch of government, and of any local government agency, other than a city agency, with jurisdiction wholly within the county.
  (c) The city council, with respect to the conflict-of-interest code of any city agency other than the city council.
  (d) The Attorney General, with respect to the conflict-of-interest code of the commission.
  (e) The Chief Justice of California or his or her designee, with respect to the conflict-of-interest code of the members of the Judicial Council, Commission on Judicial Performance, and Board of Governors of the State Bar of California.
  (f) The Board of Governors of the State Bar of California with respect to the conflict-of-interest code of the State Bar of California.
  (g) The Chief Justice of California, the administrative presiding judges of the courts of appeal, and the presiding judges of superior courts, or their designees, with respect to the conflict-of-interest code of any agency of the judicial branch of government subject to the immediate administrative supervision of that court.
  (h) The Judicial Council of California, with respect to the conflict-of-interest code of any state agency within the judicial branch of government not included under subdivisions (e), (f), and (g).

"Commission" means the Fair Political Practices Commission.

"Committee" means any person or combination of persons who directly or indirectly does any of the following:
  (a) Receives contributions totaling two thousand dollars ($2,000) or more in a calendar year.
  (b) Makes independent expenditures totaling one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more in a calendar year; or
  (c) Makes contributions totaling ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or more in a calendar year to or at the behest of candidates or committees. A person or combination of persons that becomes a committee shall retain its status as a committee until such time as that status is terminated pursuant to Section 84214.

"Conflict of Interest Code" means a set of rules and regulations adopted by an agency pursuant to Chapter 7 of this title.

(a) "Contribution" means a payment, a forgiveness of a loan, a payment of a loan by a third party, or an enforceable promise to make a payment except to the extent that full and adequate consideration is received, unless it is clear from the surrounding circumstances that it is not made for political purposes.
  (b) (1) A payment made at the behest of a committee, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 82013, is a contribution to the committee unless full and adequate consideration is received from the committee for making the payment.
  (2) A payment made at the behest of a candidate is a contribution to the candidate unless the criteria in either subparagraph (A) or (B) are satisfied:
  (A) Full and adequate consideration is received from the candidate.
  (B) It is clear from the surrounding circumstances that the payment was made for purposes unrelated to his or her candidacy for elective office. The following types of payments are presumed to be for purposes unrelated to a candidate's candidacy for elective office:
  (i) A payment made principally for personal purposes, in which case it may be considered a gift under the provisions of Section 82028. Payments that are otherwise subject to the limits of Section 86203 are presumed to be principally for personal purposes.
  (ii) A payment made by a state, local, or federal governmental agency or by a nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. A payment by a state, local, or federal governmental agency that is made principally for legislative or governmental purposes is governed exclusively by this clause and, therefore, is not subject to the reporting requirement described in clause (iii).
  (iii) A payment not covered by clause (i), made principally for legislative, governmental, or charitable purposes, in which case it is neither a gift nor a contribution. However, payments of this type that are made at the behest of a candidate who is an elected officer shall be reported within 30 days following the date on which the payment or payments equal or exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) in the aggregate from the same source in the same calendar year in which they are made. The report shall be filed by the elected officer with the elected officer's agency and shall be a public record subject to inspection and copying pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 81008. The report shall contain the following information: name of payor, address of payor, amount of the payment, date or dates the payment or payments were made, the name and address of the payee, a brief description of the goods or services provided or purchased, if any, and a description of the specific purpose or event for which the payment or payments were made. Once the five-thousand-dollar ($5,000) aggregate threshold from a single source has been reached for a calendar year, all payments for the calendar year made by that source shall be disclosed within 30 days after the date the threshold was reached or the payment was made, whichever occurs later. Within 30 days after receipt of the report, state agencies shall forward a copy of these reports to the Commission, and local agencies shall forward a copy of these reports to the officer with whom elected officers of that agency file their campaign statements.
  (C) For purposes of subparagraph (B), a payment is made for purposes related to a candidate's candidacy for elective office if all or a portion of the payment is used for election-related activities. For purposes of this subparagraph, "election-related activities" shall include, but are not limited to, the following:
  (i) Communications that contain express advocacy of the nomination or election of the candidate or the defeat of his or her opponent.
  (ii) Communications that contain reference to the candidate's candidacy for elective office, the candidate's election campaign, or the candidate's or his or her opponent's qualifications for elective office.
  (iii) Solicitation of contributions to the candidate or to third persons for use in support of the candidate or in opposition to his or her opponent.
  (iv) Arranging, coordinating, developing, writing, distributing, preparing, or planning of any communication or activity described in clause (i), (ii), or (iii).
  (v) Recruiting or coordinating campaign activities of campaign volunteers on behalf of the candidate.
  (vi) Preparing campaign budgets.
  (vii) Preparing campaign finance disclosure statements.
  (viii) Communications directed to voters or potential voters as part of activities encouraging or assisting persons to vote if the communication contains express advocacy of the nomination or election of the candidate or the defeat of his or her opponent.
  (D) A contribution made at the behest of a candidate for a different candidate or to a committee not controlled by the behesting candidate is not a contribution to the behesting candidate.
  (3) A payment made at the behest of a member of the Public Utilities Commission, made principally for legislative, governmental, or charitable purposes, is not a contribution. However, payments of this type shall be reported within 30 days following the date on which the payment or payments equal or exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) in the aggregate from the same source in the same calendar year in which they are made. The report shall be filed by the member with the Public Utilities Commission and shall be a public record subject to inspection and copying pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 81008. The report shall contain the following information: name of payor, address of payor, amount of the payment, date or dates the payment or payments were made, the name and address of the payee, a brief description of the goods or services provided or purchased, if any, and a description of the specific purpose or event for which the payment or payments were made. Once the five-thousand-dollar ($5,000) aggregate threshold from a single source has been reached for a calendar year, all payments for the calendar year made by that source shall be disclosed within 30 days after the date the threshold was reached or the payment was made, whichever occurs later. Within 30 days after receipt of the report, the Public Utilities Commission shall forward a copy of these reports to the Fair Political Practices Commission.
  (c) "Contribution" includes the purchase of tickets for events such as dinners, luncheons, rallies, and similar fundraising events; the candidate's own money or property used on behalf of his or her candidacy, other than personal funds of the candidate used to pay either a filing fee for a declaration of candidacy or a candidate statement prepared pursuant to Section 13307 of the Elections Code; the granting of discounts or rebates not extended to the public generally or the granting of discounts or rebates by television and radio stations and newspapers not extended on an equal basis to all candidates for the same office; the payment of compensation by any person for the personal services or expenses of any other person if the services are rendered or expenses incurred on behalf of a candidate or committee without payment of full and adequate consideration.
  (d) "Contribution" further includes any transfer of anything of value received by a committee from another committee, unless full and adequate consideration is received.
  (e) "Contribution" does not include amounts received pursuant to an enforceable promise to the extent those amounts have been previously reported as a contribution. However, the fact that those amounts have been received shall be indicated in the appropriate campaign statement.
  (f) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) or (3), "contribution" does not include a payment made by an occupant of a home or office for costs related to any meeting or fundraising event held in the occupant's home or office if the costs for the meeting or fundraising event are five hundred dollars ($500) or less.
  (2) "Contribution" includes a payment made by a lobbyist or a cohabitant of a lobbyist for costs related to a fundraising event held at the home of the lobbyist, including the value of the use of the home as a fundraising event venue. A payment described in this paragraph shall be attributable to the lobbyist for purposes of Section 85702.
  (3) "Contribution" includes a payment made by a lobbying firm for costs related to a fundraising event held at the office of the lobbying firm, including the value of the use of the office as a fundraising event venue.
  (g) Notwithstanding the foregoing definition of "contribution," the term does not include volunteer personal services or payments made by any individual for his or her own travel expenses if the payments are made voluntarily without any understanding or agreement that they shall be, directly or indirectly, repaid to him or her.
  (h) "Contribution" further includes the payment of public moneys by a state or local governmental agency for a communication to the public that satisfies both of the following:
  (1) The communication expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or the qualification, passage, or defeat of a clearly identified measure, or, taken as a whole and in context, unambiguously urges a particular result in an election.
  (2) The communication is made at the behest of the affected candidate or committee.
  (i) "Contribution" further includes a payment made by a person to a multipurpose organization as defined and described in Section 84222.

(a) "Controlled committee" means a committee that is controlled directly or indirectly by a candidate or state measure proponent or that acts jointly with a candidate, controlled committee, or state measure proponent in connection with the making of expenditures. A candidate or state measure proponent controls a committee if he or she, his or her agent, or any other committee he or she controls has a significant influence on the actions or decisions of the committee.
  (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a political party committee, as defined in Section 85205, is not a controlled committee.

"County" includes a city and county.

(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b), (c), and (d), "cumulative amount" means the amount of contributions received or expenditures made in the calendar year.
  (b) For a filer required to file a campaign statement or independent expenditure report in one year in connection with an election to be held in another year, the period over which the cumulative amount is calculated shall end on the closing date of the first semiannual statement filed after the election.
  (c) For a filer required to file a campaign statement in connection with the qualification of a measure which extends into two calendar years, the period over which the cumulative amount is calculated shall end on December 31 of the second calendar year.
  (d) For a person filing a campaign statement with a period modified by the provisions of this section, the next period over which the cumulative amount is calculated shall begin on the day after the closing date of the statement.

(a) "Designated employee" means any officer, employee, member, or consultant of any agency whose position with the agency:
  (1) Is exempt from the state civil service system by virtue of subdivision (a), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), or (m) of Section 4 of Article VII of the Constitution, unless the position is elective or solely secretarial, clerical, or manual.
  (2) Is elective, other than an elective state office.
  (3) Is designated in a Conflict of Interest Code because the position entails the making or participation in the making of decisions which may foreseeably have a material effect on any financial interest.
  (4) Is involved as a state employee at other than a clerical or ministerial level in the functions of negotiating or signing any contract awarded through competitive bidding, in making decisions in conjunction with the competitive bidding process, or in negotiating, signing, or making decisions on contracts executed pursuant to Section 10122 of the Public Contract Code.
  (b) (1) "Designated employee" does not include an elected state officer, any unsalaried member of any board or commission which serves a solely advisory function, any public official specified in Section 87200, and also does not include any unsalaried member of a nonregulatory committee, section, commission, or other such entity of the State Bar of California.
  (2) "Designated employee" does not include a federal officer or employee serving in an official federal capacity on a state or local government agency. The state or local government agency shall annually obtain, and maintain in its files for public inspection, a copy of any public financial disclosure report filed by the federal officer or employee pursuant to federal law.

"Elected officer" means any person who holds an elective office or has been elected to an elective office but has not yet taken office. A person who is appointed to fill a vacant elective office is an elected officer.

"Elected state officer" means any person who holds an elective state office or has been elected to an elective state office but has not yet taken office. A person who is appointed to fill a vacant elective state office is an elected state officer.

"Election" means any primary, general, special or recall election held in this state. The primary and general or special elections are separate elections for purposes of this title.

"Elective office" means any state, regional, county, municipal, district or judicial office that is filled at an election. "Elective office" also includes membership on a county central committee of a qualified political party, and membership through election on the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System or the Teachers' Retirement Board.

"Elective state office" means the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Controller, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Member of the Legislature, member elected to the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System, member elected to the Teachers' Retirement Board, and member of the State Board of Equalization.

"Expenditure" means a payment, a forgiveness of a loan, a payment of a loan by a third party, or an enforceable promise to make a payment, unless it is clear from the surrounding circumstances that it is not made for political purposes. "Expenditure" does not include a candidate's use of his or her own money to pay for either a filing fee for a declaration of candidacy or a candidate statement prepared pursuant to Section 13307 of the Elections Code. An expenditure is made on the date the payment is made or on the date consideration, if any, is received, whichever is earlier.

(a) "External manager" means either of the following:
  (1) A person who is seeking to be, or is, retained by a state public retirement system in California or an investment vehicle to manage a portfolio of securities or other assets for compensation.
  (2) A person who manages an investment fund and who offers or sells, or has offered or sold, an ownership interest in the investment fund to a state public retirement system in California or an investment vehicle.
  (b) For purposes of this section, "investment fund" has the same meaning as set forth in Section 7513.8.
  (c) For purposes of this section, "investment vehicle" has the same meaning as set forth in Section 82047.3.

"Fair market value" means the estimated fair market value of goods, services, facilities or anything of value other than money. Whenever the amount of goods, services, facilities, or anything of value other than money is required to be reported under this title, the amount reported shall be the fair market value, and a description of the goods, services, facilities, or other thing of value shall be appended to the report or statement. "Full and adequate consideration" as used in this title means fair market value.

"Filer" means the person filing or required to file any statement or report under this title.

"Filing officer" means the office or officer with whom any statement or report is required to be filed under this title. If copies of a statement or report are required to be filed with more than one office or officer, the one first named is the filing officer, and the copy filed with him shall be signed in the original and shall be deemed the original copy.

(a) "General purpose committee" means all committees pursuant to subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 82013, and any committee pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 82013 which is formed or exists primarily to support or oppose more than one candidate or ballot measure, except as provided in Section 82047.5.
  (b) A "state general purpose committee" is a political party committee, as defined in Section 85205, or a committee to support or oppose candidates or measures voted on in a state election, or in more than one county.
  (c) A "county general purpose committee" is a committee to support or oppose candidates or measures voted on in only one county, or in more than one jurisdiction within one county.
  (d) A "city general purpose committee" is a committee to support or oppose candidates or measures voted on in only one city.

(a) "Gift" means, except as provided in subdivision (b), any payment that confers a personal benefit on the recipient, to the extent that consideration of equal or greater value is not received and includes a rebate or discount in the price of anything of value unless the rebate or discount is made in the regular course of business to members of the public without regard to official status. Any person, other than a defendant in a criminal action, who claims that a payment is not a gift by reason of receipt of consideration has the burden of proving that the consideration received is of equal or greater value.
  (b) The term "gift" does not include:
  (1) Informational material such as books, reports, pamphlets, calendars, or periodicals. No payment for travel or reimbursement for any expenses shall be deemed "informational material."
  (2) Gifts which are not used and which, within 30 days after receipt, are either returned to the donor or delivered to a nonprofit entity exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code without being claimed as a charitable contribution for tax purposes.
  (3) Gifts from an individual's spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew, niece, aunt, uncle, or first cousin or the spouse of any such person; provided that a gift from any such person shall be considered a gift if the donor is acting as an agent or intermediary for any person not covered by this paragraph.
  (4) Campaign contributions required to be reported under Chapter 4 of this title.
  (5) Any devise or inheritance.
  (6) Personalized plaques and trophies with an individual value of less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250).

"Immediate family" means the spouse and dependent children.

(a) "Income" means, except as provided in subdivision (b), a payment received, including but not limited to any salary, wage, advance, dividend, interest, rent, proceeds from any sale, gift, including any gift of food or beverage, loan, forgiveness or payment of indebtedness received by the filer, reimbursement for expenses, per diem, or contribution to an insurance or pension program paid by any person other than an employer, and including any community property interest in the income of a spouse. Income also includes an outstanding loan. Income of an individual also includes a pro rata share of any income of any business entity or trust in which the individual or spouse owns, directly, indirectly or beneficially, a 10-percent interest or greater. "Income," other than a gift, does not include income received from any source outside the jurisdiction and not doing business within the jurisdiction, not planning to do business within the jurisdiction, or not having done business within the jurisdiction during the two years prior to the time any statement or other action is required under this title.
  (b) "Income" also does not include:
  (1) Campaign contributions required to be reported under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 84100).
  (2) Salary and reimbursement for expenses or per diem, and social security, disability, or other similar benefit payments received from a state, local, or federal government agency and reimbursement for travel expenses and per diem received from a bona fide nonprofit entity exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
  (3) Any devise or inheritance.
  (4) Interest, dividends, or premiums on a time or demand deposit in a financial institution, shares in a credit union or any insurance policy, payments received under any insurance policy, or any bond or other debt instrument issued by any government or government agency.
  (5) Dividends, interest, or any other return on a security which is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States government or a commodity future registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission of the United States government, except proceeds from the sale of these securities and commodities futures.
  (6) Redemption of a mutual fund.
  (7) Alimony or child support payments.
  (8) Any loan or loans from a commercial lending institution which are made in the lender's regular course of business on terms available to members of the public without regard to official status.
  (9) Any loan from or payments received on a loan made to an individual's spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew, niece, uncle, aunt, or first cousin, or the spouse of any such person, provided that a loan or loan payment received from any such person shall be considered income if he or she is acting as an agent or intermediary for any person not covered by this paragraph.
  (10) Any indebtedness created as part of a retail installment or credit card transaction if made in the lender's regular course of business on terms available to members of the public without regard to official status.
  (11) Payments received under a defined benefit pension plan qualified under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a).
  (12) Proceeds from the sale of securities registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States government or from the sale of commodities futures registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission of the United States government if the filer sells the securities or the commodities futures on a stock or commodities exchange and does not know or have reason to know the identity of the purchaser.

(a) For purposes of this title, "earned income" means, except as provided in subdivision (b), income from wages, salaries, professional fees, and other amounts received or promised to be received as compensation for personal services rendered.
  (b) Income which is not "earned income" includes, but is not limited to, the following:
  (1) Any income derived from stocks, bonds, property, or other investments, or from retail or wholesale sales.
  (2) Any amount paid by, or on behalf of, an elected state officer to a tax-qualified pension, profit sharing, or stock bonus plan and received by the elected state officer from the plan.
  (3) The community property interest in the income of a spouse.

"Independent expenditure" means an expenditure made by any person, including a payment of public moneys by a state or local governmental agency, in connection with a communication which expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or the qualification, passage or defeat of a clearly identified measure, or taken as a whole and in context, unambiguously urges a particular result in an election but which is not made to or at the behest of the affected candidate or committee.

"Influencing legislative or administrative action" means promoting, supporting, influencing, modifying, opposing or delaying any legislative or administrative action by any means, including but not limited to the provision or use of information, statistics, studies or analyses.

"Interest in real property" includes any leasehold, beneficial or ownership interest or an option to acquire such an interest in real property located in the jurisdiction owned directly, indirectly or beneficially by the public official, or other filer, or his or her immediate family if the fair market value of the interest is two thousand dollars ($2,000) or more. Interests in real property of an individual includes a pro rata share of interests in real property of any business entity or trust in which the individual or immediate family owns, directly, indirectly or beneficially, a 10-percent interest or greater.

"Investment" means any financial interest in or security issued by a business entity, including, but not limited to, common stock, preferred stock, rights, warrants, options, debt instruments, and any partnership or other ownership interest owned directly, indirectly, or beneficially by the public official, or other filer, or his or her immediate family, if the business entity or any parent, subsidiary, or otherwise related business entity has an interest in real property in the jurisdiction, or does business or plans to do business in the jurisdiction, or has done business within the jurisdiction at any time during the two years prior to the time any statement or other action is required under this title. An asset shall not be deemed an investment unless its fair market value equals or exceeds two thousand dollars ($2,000). The term "investment" does not include a time or demand deposit in a financial institution, shares in a credit union, any insurance policy, interest in a diversified mutual fund registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940 or in a common trust fund created pursuant to Section 1564 of the Financial Code, interest in a government defined-benefit pension plan, or any bond or other debt instrument issued by any government or government agency. Investments of an individual includes a pro rata share of investments of any business entity, mutual fund, or trust in which the individual or immediate family owns, directly, indirectly, or beneficially, a 10-percent interest or greater. The term "parent, subsidiary or otherwise related business entity" shall be specifically defined by regulations of the commission.

"Jurisdiction" means the state with respect to a state agency and, with respect to a local government agency, the region, county, city, district or other geographical area in which it has jurisdiction. Real property shall be deemed to be "within the jurisdiction" with respect to a local government agency if the property or any part of it is located within or not more than two miles outside the boundaries of the jurisdiction or within two miles of any land owned or used by the local government agency.

"LAFCO proposal" means a proposal, as defined in Section 56069, including a proceeding, as defined by Section 56067.

"Late contribution" means any of the following:
  (a) A contribution, including a loan, that totals in the aggregate one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more and is made to or received by a candidate, a controlled committee, or a committee formed or existing primarily to support or oppose a candidate or measure during the 90-day period preceding the date of the election, or on the date of the election, at which the candidate or measure is to be voted on. For purposes of the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System and the Teachers' Retirement Board, "the date of the election" is the deadline to return ballots.
  (b) A contribution, including a loan, that totals in the aggregate one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more and is made to or received by a political party committee, as defined in Section 85205, within 90 days before the date of a state election or on the date of the election.

"Late independent expenditure" means an independent expenditure that totals in the aggregate one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more and is made for or against a specific candidate or measure involved in an election during the 90-day period preceding the date of the election or on the date of the election. For purposes of the Board of Administration of the Public Employees' Retirement System and the Teachers' Retirement Board, "the date of the election" is the deadline to return ballots.

"Legislative action" means the drafting, introduction, consideration, modification, enactment or defeat of any bill, resolution, amendment, report, nomination or other matter by the Legislature or by either house or any committee, subcommittee, joint or select committee thereof, or by a member or employee of the Legislature acting in his official capacity. "Legislative action" also means the action of the Governor in approving or vetoing any bill.

"Legislative official" means any employee or consultant of the Legislature whose duties are not solely secretarial, clerical or manual.

(a) "Lobbying firm" means any business entity, including an individual contract lobbyist, which meets either of the following criteria:
  (1) The business entity receives or becomes entitled to receive any compensation, other than reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses, for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action on behalf of any other person, and any partner, owner, officer, or employee of the business entity is a lobbyist.
  (2) The business entity receives or becomes entitled to receive any compensation, other than reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses, to communicate directly with any elective state official, agency official, or legislative official for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action on behalf of any other person, if a substantial or regular portion of the activities for which the business entity receives compensation is for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action.
  (b) No business entity is a lobbying firm by reason of activities described in Section 86300.

(a) "Lobbyist" means either of the following:
  (1) Any individual who receives two thousand dollars ($2,000) or more in economic consideration in a calendar month, other than reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses, or whose principal duties as an employee are, to communicate directly or through his or her agents with any elective state official, agency official, or legislative official for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action.
  (2) A placement agent, as defined in Section 82047.3.
  (b) An individual is not a lobbyist by reason of activities described in Section 86300.
  (c) For the purposes of subdivision (a), a proceeding before the Public Utilities Commission constitutes "administrative action" if it meets any of the definitions set forth in subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 82002. However, a communication made for the purpose of influencing this type of Public Utilities Commission proceeding is not within subdivision (a) if the communication is made at a public hearing, public workshop, or other public forum that is part of the proceeding, or if the communication is included in the official record of the proceeding.

"Lobbyist employer" means any person, other than a lobbying firm, who:
  (a) Employs one or more lobbyists for economic consideration, other than reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses, for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action, or
  (b) Contracts for the services of a lobbying firm for economic consideration, other than reimbursement for reasonable travel expense, for the purpose of influencing legislative or administrative action.

"Local government agency" means a county, city or district of any kind including school district, or any other local or regional political subdivision, or any department, division, bureau, office, board, commission or other agency of the foregoing.

"Mass mailing" means over two hundred substantially similar pieces of mail, but does not include a form letter or other mail which is sent in response to an unsolicited request, letter or other inquiry.

"Mayor" of a city includes mayor of a city and county.

"Measure" means any constitutional amendment or other proposition which is submitted to a popular vote at an election by action of a legislative body, or which is submitted or is intended to be submitted to a popular vote at an election by initiative, referendum or recall procedure whether or not it qualifies for the ballot.

"Payment" means a payment, distribution, transfer, loan, advance, deposit, gift or other rendering of money, property, services or anything else of value, whether tangible or intangible.

"Payment to influence legislative or administrative action" means any of the following types of payment:
  (a) Direct or indirect payment to a lobbyist whether for salary, fee, compensation for expenses, or any other purpose, by a person employing or contracting for the services of the lobbyist separately or jointly with other persons;
  (b) Payment in support or assistance of a lobbyist or his activities, including but not limited to the direct payment of expenses incurred at the request or suggestion of the lobbyist;
  (c) Payment which directly or indirectly benefits any elective state official, legislative official or agency official or a member of the immediate family of any such official;
  (d) Payment, including compensation, payment or reimbursement for the services, time or expenses of an employee, for or in connection with direct communication with any elective state official, legislative official or agency official;
  (e) Payment for or in connection with soliciting or urging other persons to enter into direct communication with any elective state official, legislative official or agency official.

(a) "Period covered" by a statement or report required to be filed by this title, other than a campaign statement, means, unless a different period is specified, the period beginning with the day after the closing date of the most recent statement or report which was required to be filed, and ending with the closing date of the statement or report in question. If the person filing the statement or report has not previously filed a statement or report of the same type, the period covered begins on the day on which the first reportable transaction occurred. Nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted to exempt any person from disclosing transactions which occurred prior to the effective date of this title according to the laws then in effect.
  (b) "Period covered" by a campaign statement required to be filed by this title means, unless a different period is specified, the period beginning the day after the closing date of the most recent campaign statement which was required to be filed and ending with the closing date of the statement in question. If a person has not previously filed a campaign statement, the period covered begins on January 1.

"Person" means an individual, proprietorship, firm, partnership, joint venture, syndicate, business trust, company, corporation, limited liability company, association, committee, and any other organization or group of persons acting in concert.

(a) "Placement agent" means an individual directly or indirectly hired, engaged, or retained by, or serving for the benefit of or on behalf of, an external manager or an investment fund managed by an external manager, and who acts or has acted for compensation as a finder, solicitor, marketer, consultant, broker, or other intermediary in connection with the offer or sale to a state public retirement system in California or an investment vehicle either of the following:
  (1) In the case of an external manager within the meaning of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 82025.3, the investment management services of the external manager.
  (2) In the case of an external manager within the meaning of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 82025.3, an ownership interest in an investment fund managed by the external manager.
  (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), an individual who is an employee, officer, director, equityholder, partner, member, or trustee of an external manager and who spends one-third or more of his or her time, during a calendar year, managing the securities or assets owned, controlled, invested, or held by the external manager is not a placement agent.
  (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), an employee, officer, or director of an external manager, or of an affiliate of an external manager, is not a placement agent with respect to an offer or sale of investment management services described in subdivision (a) if all of the following apply:
  (1) The external manager is registered as an investment adviser or a broker-dealer with the Securities and Exchange Commission or, if exempt from or not subject to registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, any appropriate state securities regulator.
  (2) The external manager is participating in a competitive bidding process, such as a request for proposals, subject to subdivision (a) of Section 22364 of the Education Code or subdivision (a) of Section 20153 of this code, as applicable, or has been selected through that process, and is providing services pursuant to a contract executed as a result of that competitive bidding process.
  (3) The external manager, if selected through a competitive bidding process described in paragraph (2), has agreed to a fiduciary standard of care, as defined by the standards of conduct applicable to the retirement board of a public pension or retirement system and set forth in Section 17 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, when managing a portfolio of assets of a state public retirement system in California.
  (d) For purposes of this section, "investment fund" has the same meaning as set forth in Section 7513.8.
  (e) For purposes of this section, "investment vehicle" means a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, association, or other entity, either domestic or foreign, managed by an external manager in which a state public retirement system in California is the majority investor and that is organized in order to invest with, or retain the investment management services of, other external managers.

"Primarily formed committee" means a committee pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 82013 which is formed or exists primarily to support or oppose any of the following:
  (a) A single candidate.
  (b) A single measure.
  (c) A group of specific candidates being voted upon in the same city, county, or multicounty election.
  (d) Two or more measures being voted upon in the same city, county, multicounty, or state election.

(a) "Principal officer" means the individual primarily responsible for approving the political activities of a committee, including, but not limited to, the following activities:
  (1) Authorizing the content of communications made by the committee.
  (2) Authorizing expenditures, including contributions, on behalf of the committee.
  (3) Determining the committee's campaign strategy.
  (b) If two or more individuals share the primary responsibility for approving the political activities of a committee, each individual is a principal officer.

"Proponent of a state ballot measure" means "proponent" as defined in Section 9002 of the Elections Code.

(a) "Public official" means every member, officer, employee or consultant of a state or local government agency.
  (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), "public official" does not include the following:
  (1) A judge or court commissioner in the judicial branch of government.
  (2) A member of the Board of Governors and designated employees of the State Bar of California.
  (3) A member of the Judicial Council.
  (4) A member of the Commission on Judicial Performance, provided that he or she is subject to the provisions of Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 6035) of Chapter 4 of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code as provided in Section 6038 of that article.
  (5) A federal officer or employee serving in an official federal capacity on a state or local government agency.

"Slate mailer" means a mass mailing which supports or opposes a total of four or more candidates or ballot measures.

(a) "Slate mailer organization" means, except as provided in subdivision (b), any person who, directly or indirectly, does all of the following:
  (1) Is involved in the production of one or more slate mailers and exercises control over the selection of the candidates and measures to be supported or opposed in the slate mailers.
  (2) Receives or is promised payments totaling five hundred dollars ($500) or more in a calendar year for the production of one or more slate mailers.
  (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a slate mailer organization shall not include any of the following:
  (1) A candidate or officeholder or a candidate's or officeholder's controlled committee.
  (2) An official committee of any political party.
  (3) A legislative caucus committee.
  (4) A committee primarily formed to support or oppose a candidate, officeholder, or ballot measure.
  (c) The production and distribution of slate mailers by a slate mailer organization shall not be considered making contributions or expenditures for purposes of subdivision (b) or (c) of Section 82013. If a slate mailer organization makes contributions or expenditures other than by producing or distributing slate mailers, and it reports those contributions and expenditures pursuant to Sections 84218 and 84219, no additional campaign reports shall be required of the slate mailer organization pursuant to Section 84200 or 84200.5.

"Special district" means any agency of the state established for the local performance of governmental or proprietary functions within limited boundaries. "Special district" includes a county service area, a maintenance district or area, an improvement district or zone, an air pollution control district, or a redevelopment agency. "Special district" shall not include a city, county, city and county, or school district.

(a) "Sponsored committee" means a committee, other than a candidate controlled committee, that has one or more sponsors. Any person, except a candidate or other individual, may sponsor a committee.
  (b) A person sponsors a committee if any of the following apply:
  (1) The committee receives 80 percent or more of its contributions from the person or its members, officers, employees, or shareholders.
  (2) The person collects contributions for the committee by use of payroll deductions or dues from its members, officers, or employees.
  (3) The person, alone or in combination with other organizations, provides all or nearly all of the administrative services for the committee.
  (4) The person, alone or in combination with other organizations, sets the policies for soliciting contributions or making expenditures of committee funds.
  (c) A sponsor that is a multipurpose organization, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 84222, and that makes contributions or expenditures from its general treasury funds shall comply with Section 84222.

"State agency" means every state office, department, division, bureau, board and commission, and the Legislature.

"State candidate" means a candidate who seeks nomination or election to any elective state office.

"State measure" means any measure which is submitted or is intended to be submitted to the voters of the state.

"Statewide candidate" means a candidate who seeks election to any statewide elective office.

"Statewide election" means an election for statewide elective office.

"Statewide elective office" means the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Controller, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction and member of the State Board of Equalization.

"Statewide petition" means a petition to qualify a proposed state measure.