The California State Senate advanced a bill that would establish financial penalties for content creators and political committees that fail to disclose paid political endorsements on social media platforms. The measure, authored by Democratic Assemblymember Marc Berman, targets violations of existing state law requiring such disclosures and aims to streamline enforcement procedures.
Currently, California and Texas mandate that content creators include payment disclaimers when posting political content on behalf of campaigns or ballot measures. However, the state’s campaign watchdog agency, the Fair Political Practices Commission, must pursue lengthy court proceedings to compel disclosure. Berman’s legislation would grant the commission authority to directly impose fines on violators, eliminating the need for court intervention. According to the commission, content creators could face penalties of up to $5,000 per violation under the proposed framework.
Berman stated that voters deserve access to information about whether campaigns fund the messaging they encounter online. The measure received support from the Fair Political Practices Commission. The bill requires a final Assembly vote before proceeding to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has until the end of September to take action on the legislation.
The California action occurs amid stalled efforts at the federal level. Sen. Adam Schiff of California introduced a comparable measure in Congress earlier this month, though it has not yet received a legislative vote.
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