Los Angeles County Municipal Code Part 1 Definitions and General Provisions

A.

"Association" includes corporations.

B.

"Charitable" includes Philanthropic, social service, benevolent or patriotic, either actual or purported.

C.

"City information card" means a valid, current, information card issued by the board of social service commissioners of the city of Los Angeles.

D.

"Contribution" includes the words alms, foods, clothing, money, property, or donations under the guise of a loan of money or property.

E.

"Promoter" means any person who for precuniary compensation or consideration received, or to be received, solicits, or is engaged in the business of or holds himself out to the public as engaged in the business of soliciting contributions for or on behalf of any other person or charitable association, corporation or institution, or conducts, manages or carries on or agrees to conduct, manage or carry on or is engaged in the business or holds himself out as engaged in the business of conducting, managing, or carrying on any drive or campaign for any such purpose. "Pecuniary compensation" or "consideration," as used herein, includes, but is not limited to, participation on a percentage basis in any fund solicited, or raised, for or on behalf of any other person. A person who is a bona fide paid officer or employee of a social service agency which, under this chapter, may solicit charitable contributions shall not be considered a "promoter" as defined in subsection E of this section.

F.

"Solicitation" means and includes:

a.

Any oral or written request;

b.

The distribution, circulation, mailing, posting or publishing of any handbill;

c.

The making of any announcement to the press, over the radio or television, or by telephone or telegraph, concerning an appeal, assemblage, athletic or sports event, bazaar, benefit, campaign, contest, dance, drive, entertainment, exhibition, exposition, party, performance, picnic, sale or social gathering, which the public is requested to patronize or to which the public is requested to make a contribution for any charitable purpose connected therewith;

d.

The sale of, offer or attempt to sell, any advertisement, advertising space, book, card, change, coupon, ticket or other thing in connection with which any appeal is made for any charitable purpose or the name of any charity, philanthropy or charitable association is used or referred in any such appeal as an inducement or reason for making any such sale, or when or where in connection with any such sale, any statement is made that the whole or any part of the proceeds from any such sale will go or be donated to any charitable purpose or association;

e.

The placing of boxes or receptacles in any place whatever accessible to persons for the purpose of receiving contributions.

A "solicitation" as defined in this subsection F shall be completed when made, whether or not the person making the same receives any contribution or makes any sale or purchase referred to in this chapter.

G.

"Writing" includes "printing," "typewriting," "mimeographing," or "multigraphing."

H.

"Written" includes "printed," "typewritten," "mimeographed," or "multigraphed."

(Ord. 9678 § 2 (part), 1968: Ord. 5860 Ch. 18 Art. 1 §§ 3101—3103, 3105—3109, 1951.)

A.

Any person who solicits any contribution, admission fee or payment of any kind, even if exchanged for items or services of value, in any manner that would lead a reasonable person to believe that any portion of the contribution, admission fee or payment solicited would be used for the benefit of or on behalf of any governmental police, fire, paramedic or other governmental agency, or for or on behalf of employees or dependents of employees of such agencies, shall comply with the provisions of this chapter as if such solicitations were for contributions for charitable purposes or in the name of, or on behalf of, any charitable association.

B.

Any person who for pecuniary compensation or consideration received, or to be received, solicits or is engaged in the business of or holds himself out to the public as engaged in the business of soliciting contributions, admission fees or payments in a manner described in subsection A above on behalf of any other person or association shall comply with the provisions of this chapter as if said person was a promoter soliciting for, or on behalf of, an actual or purported charitable use, purpose, association, corporation or institution.

C.

Exceptions. The provisions of this section do not apply to:

Payments required by law to be collected or paid; or

Payments to or from governmental agencies; or

Solicitations made by an association or its authorized agents and employees to its own members and employees; or

Activities which the county is preempted from regulating by state law.

(Ord. 11947 § 1, 1979: Ord. 5860 Ch. 18 Art. 1 § 3110, 1951.)