The Political Reform of Act of 1974 defines "expenditure" to include any monetary or nonmonetary payment made by any person that is used for communications that expressly advocate the nomination, election, or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or candidates, or the qualification, passage, or defeat of a clearly identified ballot measure. The act excludes from the definition the costs incurred by a broadcasting station to cover or carry a news story, commentary, or editorial, and the costs incurred in publishing a regularly published newsletter or periodical whose circulation is limited to an organization's members, employees, shareholders, other affiliated individuals, and those who request or purchase the publication.
California AB 903 (20192020) — Political Reform Act of 1974.
The Political Reform of Act of 1974 defines "expenditure" to include any monetary or nonmonetary payment made by any person that is used for communications that expressly advocate the nomination, election, or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or candidates, or the qualification, passage, or defeat of a clearly identified ballot measure. The act excludes from the definition the costs incurred by a broadcasting station to cover or carry a news story, commentary, or editorial, and the costs incurred in publishing a regularly published newsletter or periodical whose circulation is limited to an organization's members, employees, shareholders, other affiliated individuals, and those who request or purchase the publication.
Version chain
The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar — 5–0 (pass) · upper
Do pass. To Consent Calendar. — 17–0 (pass) · lower
Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar — 7–0 (pass) · lower
Consent Calendar AB903 — 39–0 (pass) · upper
AB 903 Levine Consent Calendar Second Day — 72–0 (pass) · lower
Sponsors
Levine — primary (person)
Timeline
The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
2019-02-20 Read first time. To print. reading-1
2019-02-21 From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2019-03-04 Referred to Com. on E. & R. referral-committee
2019-03-27 From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 27). amendment-passage, committee-passage, amendment-introduction
2019-03-28 Read second time and amended. amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2
2019-04-01 Re-referred to Com. on APPR. referral-committee
2019-04-03 From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 3). committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage
2019-04-04 Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar. reading-1, reading-2
2019-04-11 Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 1190.) passage, reading-3, reading-1
2019-04-11 In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. reading-1
2019-04-24 Referred to Com. on E. & C.A. referral-committee
2019-05-07 From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (May 7). Re-referred to Com. on APPR. committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, referral-committee
2019-06-24 From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar. committee-passage, reading-2
2019-06-25 Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar. reading-1, reading-2
2019-07-01 Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 1878.). passage, reading-3, reading-1
2019-07-01 In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling. committee-passage
2019-07-08 Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3:30 p.m.
2019-07-12 Approved by the Governor. executive-signature
2019-07-12 Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 102, Statutes of 2019.
Source
OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/34e67a50-2e6e-47c3-bf0b-d19a3c022d38. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).