Committees
State law defines a committee as a person or group of persons who receive or spend a certain amount of money in an attempt to influence the outcome of an election. In addition to campaign committees that are controlled by candidates, other types of committees include:
- ballot measure committees
- general purpose committees,
- primarily formed committees, and
- independent expenditure committees.
To search all committees associated with a City or LAUSD candidate or ballot measure, along with copies of all their disclosure reports, please see the Campaign Committees Table.
REQUIREMENTS
Committees must create and maintain records that indicate compliance with the campaign finance laws and must provide those records to the Ethics Commission upon request. A person who supplies goods or services to a committee in connection with a campaign must also maintain records of the committee’s expenditures. Records must be maintained for at least four years.
Candidates and their committee treasurers are required to complete a training conducted by the Ethics Commission in each election cycle that the candidate seeks a City or LAUSD office.
Committees must file three types of disclosure statements. Detailed filing requirements are provided under “What Do I File?”. Information disclosed by committees may be accessed through the Public Data Portal.
Organization
A committee must file a CA Form 410 (Statement of Organization) with the Secretary of State once it meets the dollar threshold for qualification. Committees that are active in City or LAUSD elections must also file a copy with the Ethics Commission.
Financial Activity
Committees are required to periodically disclose their financial activity, including expenditures, contributions, and specific information about contributors. CA Form 460 (Recipient Committee Campaign Statement Long Form) must be filed at least twice per year (more frequently in an election cycle). Other disclosures may be triggered by specific activity, including CA Form 497 (24-hour Contribution Report) and CA Form 511 (Paid Spokesperson Report). Committees are also required to notify contributors of $5,000 or more that the contributors may have their own disclosure obligations.
Communications
A committee must publicly disclose its political communications. Each communication must include a disclaimer that identifies the committee and its significant contributors. Mandatory disclaimer language can be found here. In addition, a copy of the communication must be filed with the Ethics Commission. Additional disclosure is required for independent expenditure communications.
LIMITATIONS
Different limitations apply to different types of committees. Limitations that apply to candidate committees, officeholder committees, and legal defense committees are discussed on the candidate and officeholder pages. Please contact the Ethics Commission for more information about limitations that apply to those and other types of committees.
City Candidate Committees
2022 CPI Adjustments
These amounts do not apply to the 2022 Primary Elections. They apply to City elections in which the fundraising window for the primary election opens after March 1, 2022. They do not apply to LAUSD elections.
2023 CPI Adjustments
These amounts do not apply to the CD6 special election or the 2024 regular City elections. They apply to City elections in which the fundraising window for the primary election opens after March 1, 2023. They do not apply to LAUSD elections.
City Officeholder and Legal Defense Committees
LAUSD Candidate Committees
2022 Election Limits
These amounts apply to City elections in which the fundraising window for the primary election opened after April 23, 2020.
| CONTRIBUTION TYPE | LIMIT AMOUNT |
|---|---|
| Cash Contributions | $30 per person, per election |
| Non-cash Contributions | $1,300 per person, per election |
| Anonymous Contributions | $300 in total, per election |
| Loans | $1,300 per person, per election |
ELECTION TOTALS
WHAT DO I FILE?
The following form must be filed when you establish a committee:
Form RequiredDue DateWithin 10 days of raising $2,000.
Statement of Organization (Form 410)The following filing schedule applies if your raise or spend less than $2,000 per calendar year:
Due DateForm RequiredPeriod CoveredJan 31, 20192018 Annual
Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2018Jan 31, 20202019 Annual
Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2019
The following filing schedule applies if you raise or spend $2,000 or more per calendar year:
This filing schedule is tentative and assumes a March 2020 primary election. The date of the primary will be confirmed after November 6, 2018, when voters will decide if primary elections should be moved from June to March. Download PDF.
PRIMARY ELECTION: March 3, 2020
Due DateForm RequiredPeriod CoveredJan 23, 20201st Pre-Election
Jan 1 - Jan 18, 2020Feb 20, 20202nd Pre-Election
Jan 19 - Feb 15, 2020Feb 28, 20203rd Pre-Election
Feb 16 - Feb 26, 2020
GENERAL ELECTION: November 2, 2020 (if necessary)
Due DateForm RequiredPeriod CoveredOct 22, 20202nd Pre-Run Off
Sep 20 - Oct 17, 2020Oct 30, 20203rd Pre-Run Off
Oct 18 - Oct 28, 2020
The following forms are required when you perform certain activities:
ActivityForm RequiredDue DateReceive or make a contribution of $1,000 or more within 90 days of election.Within 24 hours of contribution.Distribute a communication to 200 or more persons.Within 24 hours of distribution between candidate filing week and the general election.
Within 5 business days of distribution otherwise.
Make expenditures to an individual for their appearance in a printed, televised, or radio advertisement, or in a telephone message that supports or opposes the qualification, passage or defeat of a City ballot measure, where:
- The expenditures total $5,000 or more; or
- The advertisement states or suggests that the individual is a member of an occupation that requires licensure, certification, or other specialized, documented training as a prerequisite to engage in that occupation.
Within 10 days of payment made or services received, whichever is earlier.
The following forms may be required when you make or incur independent expenditures of (or one or more payments for member communications totaling):
ThreshholdSupporting/OpposingForm RequiredDue Date$1,000 or more
City or LAUSD candidates or City ballot measuresWithin 24 hours of expenditure during the 90 days preceding the election or on the date of the election..
$1,000 or more; or
$100 or more if distributed to 200 or more persons.
City candidates, officeholders, or ballot measures
Within 24 hours of expenditure between candidate filing week and the general election.
Within 5 business days of expenditure otherwise.
$1,000 or more
LAUSD candidates
Within 24 hours of expenditure.
The following forms must be filed to terminate your committee:
Form RequiredPeriod CoveredDue Date
Statement of Organization (Form 410)
This form must be filed as a Termination statement.
N/AWhen you terminate your committee
Your final campaign statement is considered a Termination statement.
Any time period since your last campaign statement, up to the date you terminate your committee.Next filing deadline after the committee termination date.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
For questions regarding specific scenarios, please contact us prior to taking action.
I am a candidate running for City office. What information must my committee obtain for contributions that it receives?
Committees are required to obtain the name, address, occupation, and employer of each contributor, as well as the date and amount of each contribution. You may not deposit or otherwise negotiate a contribution until you have that information on file. If you are a candidate who is participating in the matching funds program, your committee is also required to obtain a certification from each contributor that the information provided is accurate and that the address is the residence address.
Is my committee required to file campaign statements electronically?
A City committee is required to file electronically if it raises or spends at least $10,000. An LAUSD committee is required to file electronically if it raises or spends at least $25,000. Your committee may voluntarily file electronically if it has not met the mandatory threshold. Electronic filings are submitted through the Campaign Electronic Filing System (CEFS).
How can my committee obtain a user ID to file electronically?
You must submit a Form 18 (Application for CEFS ID). Once you have filed this form, you will receive a login and password.
When are committees required to file disclosure statements?
Reporting deadlines are specified in state and City laws. The Filing Schedule identifies deadlines and reporting periods for the most recent election.
Do City committees have to post their political communications online?
Yes. City committees are required to electronically file every political communication that meets a disclosure threshold. Campaign, officeholder, and legal defense communications must be filed if they are distributed to 200 or more persons. Independent expenditure communications must be filed if expenditures of $1,000 or more have been made or incurred or if expenditures of $100 or more have been made or incurred and the communication was distributed to 1,000 or more (or, if distributed by a committee, 200 or more) persons. Depending on when a political communication is made, it must be filed within either 24 hours or five days after it is first distributed. Detailed filing requirements are provided under “What Do I File?”.
PUBLIC DATA PORTAL
Committees must create and maintain records that indicate compliance with the campaign finance laws and must provide those records to the Ethics Commission upon request. A person who supplies goods or services to a committee in connection with a campaign must also maintain records of the committee’s expenditures. Records must be maintained for at least four years.
Candidates and their committee treasurers are required to complete a training conducted by the Ethics Commission in each election cycle that the candidate seeks a City or LAUSD office.
Committees must file three types of disclosure statements. Detailed filing requirements are provided under “What Do I File?”. Information disclosed by committees may be accessed through the Public Data Portal.
Organization
A committee must file a CA Form 410 (Statement of Organization) with the Secretary of State once it meets the dollar threshold for qualification. Committees that are active in City or LAUSD elections must also file a copy with the Ethics Commission.
Financial Activity
Committees are required to periodically disclose their financial activity, including expenditures, contributions, and specific information about contributors. CA Form 460 (Recipient Committee Campaign Statement Long Form) must be filed at least twice per year (more frequently in an election cycle). Other disclosures may be triggered by specific activity, including CA Form 497 (24-hour Contribution Report) and CA Form 511 (Paid Spokesperson Report). Committees are also required to notify contributors of $5,000 or more that the contributors may have their own disclosure obligations.
Communications
A committee must publicly disclose its political communications. Each communication must include a disclaimer that identifies the committee and its significant contributors. Mandatory disclaimer language can be found here. In addition, a copy of the communication must be filed with the Ethics Commission. Additional disclosure is required for independent expenditure communications.
Different limitations apply to different types of committees. Limitations that apply to candidate committees, officeholder committees, and legal defense committees are discussed on the candidate and officeholder pages. Please contact the Ethics Commission for more information about limitations that apply to those and other types of committees.
The following form must be filed when you establish a committee:
Form RequiredDue DateWithin 10 days of raising $2,000.
The following filing schedule applies if your raise or spend less than $2,000 per calendar year:
Due DateForm RequiredPeriod CoveredJan 31, 20192018 Annual
Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2018Jan 31, 20202019 Annual
Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2019
The following filing schedule applies if you raise or spend $2,000 or more per calendar year:
This filing schedule is tentative and assumes a March 2020 primary election. The date of the primary will be confirmed after November 6, 2018, when voters will decide if primary elections should be moved from June to March. Download PDF.
PRIMARY ELECTION: March 3, 2020
Due DateForm RequiredPeriod CoveredJan 23, 20201st Pre-Election
Jan 1 - Jan 18, 2020Feb 20, 20202nd Pre-Election
Jan 19 - Feb 15, 2020Feb 28, 20203rd Pre-Election
Feb 16 - Feb 26, 2020
GENERAL ELECTION: November 2, 2020 (if necessary)
Due DateForm RequiredPeriod CoveredOct 22, 20202nd Pre-Run Off
Sep 20 - Oct 17, 2020Oct 30, 20203rd Pre-Run Off
Oct 18 - Oct 28, 2020
The following forms are required when you perform certain activities:
ActivityForm RequiredDue DateReceive or make a contribution of $1,000 or more within 90 days of election.Within 24 hours of contribution.Distribute a communication to 200 or more persons.Within 24 hours of distribution between candidate filing week and the general election.
Within 5 business days of distribution otherwise.
Make expenditures to an individual for their appearance in a printed, televised, or radio advertisement, or in a telephone message that supports or opposes the qualification, passage or defeat of a City ballot measure, where:
- The expenditures total $5,000 or more; or
- The advertisement states or suggests that the individual is a member of an occupation that requires licensure, certification, or other specialized, documented training as a prerequisite to engage in that occupation.
Within 10 days of payment made or services received, whichever is earlier.
The following forms may be required when you make or incur independent expenditures of (or one or more payments for member communications totaling):
ThreshholdSupporting/OpposingForm RequiredDue Date$1,000 or more
City or LAUSD candidates or City ballot measuresWithin 24 hours of expenditure during the 90 days preceding the election or on the date of the election..
$1,000 or more; or
$100 or more if distributed to 200 or more persons.
City candidates, officeholders, or ballot measures
Within 24 hours of expenditure between candidate filing week and the general election.
Within 5 business days of expenditure otherwise.
$1,000 or more
LAUSD candidates
Within 24 hours of expenditure.
The following forms must be filed to terminate your committee:
Form RequiredPeriod CoveredDue Date
This form must be filed as a Termination statement.
N/AWhen you terminate your committee
Your final campaign statement is considered a Termination statement.
Any time period since your last campaign statement, up to the date you terminate your committee.Next filing deadline after the committee termination date.
For questions regarding specific scenarios, please contact us prior to taking action.
I am a candidate running for City office. What information must my committee obtain for contributions that it receives?
Committees are required to obtain the name, address, occupation, and employer of each contributor, as well as the date and amount of each contribution. You may not deposit or otherwise negotiate a contribution until you have that information on file. If you are a candidate who is participating in the matching funds program, your committee is also required to obtain a certification from each contributor that the information provided is accurate and that the address is the residence address.
Is my committee required to file campaign statements electronically?
A City committee is required to file electronically if it raises or spends at least $10,000. An LAUSD committee is required to file electronically if it raises or spends at least $25,000. Your committee may voluntarily file electronically if it has not met the mandatory threshold. Electronic filings are submitted through the Campaign Electronic Filing System (CEFS).
How can my committee obtain a user ID to file electronically?
You must submit a Form 18 (Application for CEFS ID). Once you have filed this form, you will receive a login and password.
When are committees required to file disclosure statements?
Reporting deadlines are specified in state and City laws. The Filing Schedule identifies deadlines and reporting periods for the most recent election.
Do City committees have to post their political communications online?
Yes. City committees are required to electronically file every political communication that meets a disclosure threshold. Campaign, officeholder, and legal defense communications must be filed if they are distributed to 200 or more persons. Independent expenditure communications must be filed if expenditures of $1,000 or more have been made or incurred or if expenditures of $100 or more have been made or incurred and the communication was distributed to 1,000 or more (or, if distributed by a committee, 200 or more) persons. Depending on when a political communication is made, it must be filed within either 24 hours or five days after it is first distributed. Detailed filing requirements are provided under “What Do I File?”.
