Rocklin Municipal Code Ch. 2.68 Campaign Contribution Regulations

A. It is the purpose and intent of this code to adopt rules and regulations consistent with the State Legislature's adoption in 2019 of Assembly Bill 571 ("AB 571") to allow campaign contribution transfers and carryovers, and for redesignations of controlled committees and campaign bank accounts, subject to the rules set forth herein.

B. The terms used in this code shall have the same definitions as specified in the Political Reform Act of 1974 (the "Act"), as amended from time to time, and Regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission (the "FPPC Regulations"), as amended from time to time.

(Ord. No. 1188, § 1, 3-25-2025)

Consistent with Government Code Section 85301(d), and the city's authority under Government Code Section 85702.5(a), the city's local campaign contribution limits shall be the default limits under the Act and FPPC Regulations, as amended from time to time.

(Ord. No. 1188, § 2, 3-25-2025)

A candidate for elective city office may transfer non-surplus campaign funds, within the meaning of Government Code Section 89519, from one controlled committee to another committee controlled by the same candidate for the same or a different state, county, or city elective office. Contributions transferred shall be attributed to specific contributors using a "last in, first out" or "first in, first out" accounting method, and these attributed contributions when aggregated with all other contributions from the same contributor shall be subject to the same default limitations on contributions of any contributor to any candidate or controlled committee as established in the Act and FPPC Regulations, as amended from time to time.

(Ord. No. 1188, § 3, 3-25-2025)

A candidate for elective city office may carry over non-surplus campaign contributions, within the meaning of Government Code Section 89519, raised in connection with one election for elective city office to pay for campaign expenditures incurred in connection with a subsequent election for the same elective city office if the carry over contribution complies with Title 2, California Code of Regulations, Section 18537.1.

(Ord. No. 1188, § 4, 3-25-2025)

A controlled committee and campaign bank account established for a local elective office may be redesignated as a campaign bank account for a future election if:

1. The future election is for the same elective office;

2. The funds in the campaign bank account/committee are not considered "surplus campaign funds" as defined in Government Code Section 89519;

3. The candidate amends the statement of organization for the committee to reflect the redesignation for the future election;

4. The candidate files a new statement, signed under penalty of perjury, of intention to be a candidate for the specific future election; and

5. Redesignation of committees/bank accounts is not otherwise prohibited by law.

(Ord. No. 1188, § 5, 3-25-2025)

It is the intent of this chapter that transfers and carryovers of a candidate's campaign funds, and redesignations of controlled committees and the establishment of campaign bank accounts be consistent with the provisions of law set forth in Government Code Sections 85301, 85306, and 85317, and Title 2, Sections 18521, 18536 and 18537.1 of the California Code of Regulations.

(Ord. No. 1188, § 6, 3-25-2025)

Nothing in this article shall exempt any person from, or excuse such person's noncompliance with, applicable provisions of any other laws of the state or any other jurisdiction. The default campaign contribution limits adopted herein shall not be construed to render any provision of law inapplicable or inoperable, including but not limited to Government Code Sections 85305, 85307, 85315, 85316, and 85318, which shall expressly remain operative to the extent applicable to candidates for elective city office.

(Ord. No. 1188, § 7, 3-25-2025)

TITLE 2 FOOTNOTES

1. For provisions on conflict of interest affecting council members' voting, see Ch. 2.08 of this code.