Senate BillChaptered/SignedGovernment
SB 1175: Lobbyist registration and termination.
What SB 1175 does, verified September 29, 2026
This bill amends the Lobbyist Registration and Termination process. The current law requires lobbyists to submit amended certifications or notices of termination directly to their lobbying firm or employer for filing with the Secretary of State. This bill changes the process to require lobbyists to submit these documents directly to the Secretary of State. It aims to further the purposes of the Political Reform Act of 1974, which requires lobbyists to register and report their activities. The bill takes effect immediately as an urgency statute, making it a priority for the state.
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Last action: Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 682, Statutes of 2026. (2026-09-27)Alert me
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| Sep. 27, 2026 | Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 682, Statutes of 2026. |
| Sep. 27, 2026 | Approved by the Governor. |
| Aug. 21, 2026 | Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m. |
| Aug. 18, 2026 | Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. |
| Jun. 30, 2026 | In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending. |
Latest bill textChaptered version, September 27, 2026 · 2,410 words
Senate Bill No. 1175
CHAPTER 682
An act to amend Section 86107 of, and to amend and repeal Section 86116 of, the Government Code, relating to the Political Reform Act of 1974, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.
[ Approved by Governor September 27, 2026. Filed with Secretary of State September 27, 2026. ]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1175, Rubio. Lobbyist registration and termination.
The Political Reform Act of 1974 requires individual lobbyists to prepare certifications, as specified, for filing with the Secretary of State. If any change occurs in the information contained in a lobbyist certification, or if a lobbyist terminates all activity that required certification, existing law requires the lobbyist to submit an amended certification or notice of termination to the lobbyist’s lobbying firm or lobbyist employer for filing with the Secretary of State within specified timelines. Existing law also requires lobbyist employers and other persons who make specified payments to influence legislative or administrative action to file reports containing information about themselves and about the type and amount of payments, as specified. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to develop an online filing and disclosure system that, once operative, must be used for the filing of these reports.
This bill would instead require the lobbyist to submit the amended certification or notice of termination directly to the Secretary of State. The bill would make conforming changes to the filing requirements for lobbyist employers and other persons that will become operative when the Secretary of State certifies that the online filing and disclosure system is functional and additional conforming changes that will become operative one year after this certification.
The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act’s purposes upon a 2/3 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements.
This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 86107 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 183 of Chapter 50 of the Statutes of 2021, is amended to read:86107.
(a) If any change occurs in any of the information contained in a registration statement, an appropriate amendment shall be filed both by online or electronic means and physically, submitting the original one copy of the amendment, in paper format, with the Secretary of State within 20 days after the change. However, if the change includes the name of a person by whom a lobbying firm is retained, the registration statement of the lobbying firm shall be amended and filed to show that change prior to the lobbying firm’s attempting to influence any legislative or administrative action on behalf of that person. Lobbying firms and lobbyist employers that, during a regular session of the Legislature, cease all activity that required registration shall file a notice of termination within 20 days after the cessation. Lobbying firms and lobbyist employers that, at the close of a regular session of the Legislature, cease all activity that required registration are not required to file a notice of termination.(b) If any change occurs in any of the information contained in a lobbyist certification or if a lobbyist terminates all activity that required the certification, the lobbyist shall submit an amended certification or notice of termination to the Secretary of State within the time limits specified in subdivision (a). A lobbyist who, at the close of a regular session of the Legislature, ceases all activity that required certification is not required to file a notice of termination.
(c) Lobbyists and lobbying firms are subject to Section 86203 for the earlier of six months after filing a notice of termination or six months after the close of a regular session of the Legislature at the close of which the lobbyist or lobbying firm ceased all activity that required certification or registration.
SEC. 2.
Section 86107 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 184 of Chapter 50 of the Statutes of 2021, is amended to read:86107.
(a) If any information in a registration statement changes, an appropriate amendment shall be filed online or electronically with the Secretary of State within 20 days after the change. However, if the change includes the name of a person by whom a lobbying firm is retained, the registration statement of the lobbying firm shall be amended and filed to show that change prior to the lobbying firm’s attempting to influence any legislative or administrative action on behalf of that person. Lobbying firms and lobbyist employers that, during a regular session of the Legislature, cease all activity that required registration shall file a notice of termination within 20 days after the cessation. Lobbying firms and lobbyist employers that, at the close of a regular session of the Legislature, cease all activity that required registration are not required to file a notice of termination.(b) If any information in a lobbyist certification changes, or if a lobbyist terminates all activity that required the certification, the lobbyist shall submit an amended certification or notice of termination to the Secretary of State within the time limits specified in subdivision (a). A lobbyist who, at the close of a regular session of the Legislature, ceases all activity that required certification is not required to file a notice of termination.
(c) Lobbyists and lobbying firms are subject to the gift limits in Section 86203 for the earlier of six months after either of the following:
(1) The filing of a notice of termination.
(2) The close of a regular session of the Legislature if the lobbyist or lobbying firm ceased all activity that required certification or registration when the session closed.
SEC. 3.
Section 86116 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 186 of Chapter 50 of the Statutes of 2021, is amended to read:86116.
Every person described in Section 86115 shall file periodic reports containing the following information:(a) The name, business address, email address, and telephone number of the lobbyist employer or other person filing the report.
(b) The total amount of payments to each lobbying firm.
(c) The total amount of all payments to lobbyists employed by the filer.
(d) A description of the specific lobbying interests of the filer.
(e) A periodic report completed and verified by each lobbyist employed by a lobbyist employer pursuant to Section 86113.
(f) Each activity expense of the filer. A total of all activity expenses of the filer shall be included.
(g) The date, amount, and the name of the recipient of any contribution of one hundred dollars ($100) or more made by the filer to an elected state officer, a state candidate, or a committee controlled by an elected state officer or state candidate, or a committee primarily formed to support or oppose the officer or candidate. If this contribution is reported by the filer or by a committee sponsored by the filer in a campaign report filed pursuant to Chapter 4 which is required to be filed with the Secretary of State, the filer may report only the name of the committee, and the identification number of the committee.
(h) (1) Except as set forth in paragraph (2), the total of all other payments to influence legislative or administrative action including overhead expenses and all payments to employees who spend 10 percent or more of their compensated time in any one month in activities related to influencing legislative or administrative action.
(2) A filer that makes payments to influence a ratemaking or quasi-legislative proceeding before the Public Utilities Commission, as defined in subdivision (b) or (c), respectively, of Section 82002, may, in lieu of reporting those payments pursuant to paragraph (1), report only the portion of those payments made to or for the filer’s attorneys for time spent appearing as counsel and preparing to appear as counsel, or to or for the filer’s witnesses for time spent testifying and preparing to testify, in this type of Public Utilities Commission proceeding. This alternative reporting of these payments made during a calendar month is not required to include payments made to an attorney or witness who is an employee of the filer if less than 10 percent of the attorney or witness’s compensated time in that month was spent in appearing, testifying, or preparing to appear or testify before the Public Utilities Commission in a ratemaking or quasi-legislative proceeding. For the purposes of this paragraph, time spent preparing to appear or preparing to testify does not include time spent preparing written testimony.
(i) Any other information required by the commission consistent with the purposes and provisions of this chapter.
SEC. 4.
Section 86116 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 2 of Chapter 873 of the Statutes of 2022, is amended to read:86116.
Every person described in Section 86115 shall file periodic reports containing the following information:(a) The name, business address, email address, and telephone number of the lobbyist employer or other person filing the report.
(b) The total amount of payments to each lobbying firm.
(c) The total amount of all payments to lobbyists employed by the filer.
(d) The information required by subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 86114. A person described in Section 86115 may, in a manner authorized by the commission, refer to and incorporate by reference the information contained in a report filed by the person’s lobbying firm pursuant to Section 86114 to meet the requirement of this subdivision.
(e) A periodic report completed and verified by each lobbyist employed by a lobbyist employer pursuant to Section 86113.
(f) Each activity expense of the filer. A total of all activity expenses of the filer shall be included.
(g) The date, amount, and the name of the recipient of any contribution of one hundred dollars ($100) or more made by the filer to an elected state officer, a state candidate, or a committee controlled by an elected state officer or state candidate, or a committee primarily formed to support or oppose the officer or candidate. If this contribution is reported by the filer or by a committee sponsored by the filer in a campaign report filed pursuant to Chapter 4 which is required to be filed with the Secretary of State, the filer may report only the name of the committee, and the identification number of the committee.
(h) (1) Except as set forth in paragraph (2), the total of all other payments to influence legislative or administrative action including overhead expenses and all payments to employees who spend more than 10 percent of their compensated time in any one month in activities related to influencing legislative or administrative action. Any payment to influence legislative or administrative action totaling two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) or more to a payee during a reporting period that was made in connection with an issue lobbying advertisement must include the identification number or, if none exists, the official title, popular name, or description of any legislative or administrative action clearly referred to in the issue lobbying advertisement as well as one of the following descriptions of the position of the filer who paid for the advertisement: “support,” “oppose,” “support if amended,” “oppose unless amended,” “neutral,” “neutral seeking amendment,” “neutral expressing concerns,” “no position,” or similar description.
(2) A filer that makes payments to influence a ratemaking or quasi-legislative proceeding before the Public Utilities Commission, as defined in subdivision (b) or (c), respectively, of Section 82002, may, in lieu of reporting those payments pursuant to paragraph (1), report only the portion of those payments made to or for the filer’s attorneys for time spent appearing as counsel and preparing to appear as counsel, or to or for the filer’s witnesses for time spent testifying and preparing to testify, in this type of Public Utilities Commission proceeding. This alternative reporting of these payments made during a calendar month is not required to include payments made to an attorney or witness who is an employee of the filer if 10 percent or less of the attorney’s or witness’s compensated time in that month was spent appearing, testifying, or preparing to appear or testify before the Public Utilities Commission in a ratemaking or quasi-legislative proceeding. For the purposes of this paragraph, time spent preparing to appear or preparing to testify does not include time spent preparing written testimony.
(i) Any other information required by the commission consistent with the purposes and provisions of this chapter.
SEC. 5.
Section 86116 of the Government Code, as amended by Section 63 of Chapter 278 of the Statutes of 2025, is repealed.SEC. 6.
(a) Section 3 of this act shall not become operative until the Secretary of State certifies an online filing and disclosure system pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 84602 of the Government Code.(b) Section 4 of this act shall not become operative until one year after the date the Secretary of State certifies an online filing and disclosure system pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 84602 of the Government Code.
SEC. 7.
The Legislature finds and declares that this bill furthers the purposes of the Political Reform Act of 1974 within the meaning of subdivision (a) of Section 81012 of the Government Code.SEC. 8.
This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:The CAL-ACCESS Replacement System (CARS) is scheduled to launch in November 2026 and will modernize California’s lobbying and campaign finance disclosure system by replacing the outdated CAL-ACCESS platform. This act will allow individual lobbyists to file registration amendments and termination notices directly with the Secretary of State rather than through their employer. This act must take effect immediately for this change to be incorporated into the CARS system before its final development and completion, which will avoid having the system built under outdated statutory requirements that would require costly retrofitting after launch. Immediate effect of this act also ensures clear guidance for lobbyists, prevents compliance confusion during the transition to the new system, supports uninterrupted public disclosure of lobbying activity, and protects state resources by avoiding unnecessary programming and system modification costs.
Text of SB 1175 as chaptered, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions