(a) The Commission shall have the jurisdiction to commence an administrative action, or a civil action, as set forth within the limitations of this section and Sections 1097.2, 1097.3, 1097.4, and 1097.5, against an officer or person prohibited by Section 1090 from making or being interested in contracts, or from becoming a vendor or purchaser at sales, or from purchasing scrip, or other evidences of indebtedness, including any member of the governing board of a school district, who violates any provision of those laws or who causes any other person to violate any provision of those laws.
(b) The Commission shall not have jurisdiction to commence an administrative or civil action or an investigation that might lead to an administrative or civil action pursuant to subdivision (a) against a person except upon written authorization from the district attorney of the county in which the alleged violation occurred. A civil action alleging a violation of Section 1090 shall not be filed against a person pursuant to this section if the Attorney General or a district attorney is pursuing a criminal prosecution of that person pursuant to Section 1097.
(c) (1) The Commission’s duties and authority under the Political Reform Act of 1974 (Title 9 (commencing with Section 81000)) to issue opinions or advice shall not be applicable to Sections 1090, 1091, 1091.1, 1091.2, 1091.3, 1091.4, 1091.5, 1091.6, or 1097, except as provided in this subdivision.
(2) A person subject to Section 1090 may request the Commission to issue an opinion or advice with respect to his or her duties under Section 1090, 1091, 1091.1, 1091.2, 1091.3, 1091.4, 1091.5, and 1091.6. The Commission shall decline to issue an opinion or advice relating to past conduct.
(3) The Commission shall forward a copy of the request for an opinion or advice to the Attorney General’s office and the local district attorney prior to proceeding with the advice or opinion.
(4) When issuing the advice or opinion, the Commission shall either provide to the person who made the request a copy of any written communications submitted by the Attorney General or a local district attorney regarding the opinion or advice, or shall advise the person that no written communications were submitted. The failure of the Attorney General or a local district attorney to submit a written communication pursuant to this paragraph shall not give rise to an inference that the Attorney General or local district attorney agrees with the opinion or advice.
(5) The opinion or advice, when issued, may be offered as evidence of good faith conduct by the requester in an enforcement proceeding, if the requester truthfully disclosed all material facts and committed the acts complained of in reliance on the opinion or advice. Any opinion or advice of the Commission issued pursuant to this subdivision shall not be admissible by any person other than the requester in any proceeding other than a proceeding brought by the Commission pursuant to this section. The Commission shall include in any opinion or advice that it issues pursuant to this subdivision a statement that the opinion or advice is not admissible in a criminal proceeding against any individual other than the requester.
(d) A decision issued by the Commission pursuant to an administrative action commenced pursuant to the jurisdiction established in subdivision (a) shall not be admissible in any proceeding other than a proceeding brought by the Commission pursuant to this section. The Commission shall include in any decision it issues pursuant to an administrative action commenced pursuant to the jurisdiction established in subdivision (a) a statement that the decision applies only to proceedings brought by the Commission.
(e) The Commission may adopt, amend, and rescind regulations to govern the procedures of the Commission consistent with the requirements of this section and Sections 1097.2, 1097.3, 1097.4, and 1097.5. These regulations shall be adopted in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2).
(f) For purposes of this section and Sections 1097.2, 1097.3, 1097.4, and 1097.5, “Commission” means the Fair Political Practices Commission.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 71, Sec. 67. (SB 1304) Effective January 1, 2015.)
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