Skip to main content
Independent and nonpartisan. SaveYourState is a civic information resource. It is not a government website and is not affiliated with any government agency, party, or campaign.

California · 2025–26 Regular Session · Assembly Bill

AB 1736: Political Reform Act of 1974: lobbyist employers: fictitious appearances.

Enacted Official data

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed one chamber
  4. Passed both chambers
  5. Enacted

Last official action: ·Record last updated:

Plain-language summary

AB 1736 is a assembly bill introduced in the California Assembly on February 5, 2026. According to its official title, it concerns: Political Reform Act of 1974: lobbyist employers: fictitious appearances. Primary sponsor: Gail Pellerin (D). Most recent recorded action (July 13, 2026): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 71, Statutes of 2026.

Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, prohibits a lobbyist or lobbying firm from attempting to create a fictitious appearance of public favor or disfavor of any proposed legislative or administrative action or to cause any communication to be sent to any elected state officer, legislative official, agency official, or state candidate in the name of any fictitious person or in the name of any real person, except with the consent of the real person.

The act defines “lobbyist employer” as any person, other than a lobbying firm, who employs one or more lobbyists or contracts for the services of a lobbying firm, as specified.

This bill would extend the above prohibition to lobbyist employers.

(2)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 23 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.

(3)A violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 is punishable as a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of a prohibition under the act, the bill would expand the scope of an existing crime and therefore create a state-mandated local program.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

NameRolePartyChamberDistrict
Gail PellerinPrimary sponsorDemocraticAssembly28

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 71, Statutes of 2026.
  2. Approved by the Governor.
  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
  4. In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
  5. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 5015.).
  6. Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
  7. From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.
  8. From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (June 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
  9. Referred to Com. on E. & C.A.
  10. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
  11. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 74. Noes 0. Page 4794.)
  12. Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.

Sources

  1. California Legislative Information — pubinfo database export
  2. Official bill page