Reference Pamphlet, pages 8-16 - Terms and Definitions

California Form 700 Reference Pamphlet (2014-2015) Fair Political Practices Commission
Email Advice: advice@fppc.ca.gov
FPPC Toll-Free Helpline: 1 (866) ASK-FPPC - (866) 275-3772 Reference Pamphlet 8 through 16

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Reference Pamphlet Page 8

The instructions located on the back of each schedule describe the types of interests that must be reported. The purpose of this section is to explain other terms used in Form 700 that are not defined in the instructions to the schedules or elsewhere.

Blind Trust:

See Trusts, Reference Pamphlet, page 16.

Business Entity:

Any organization or enterprise operated for profit, including a proprietorship, partnership, firm, business trust, joint venture, syndicate, corporation, or association. This would include a business for which you take business deductions for tax purposes (for example, a small business operated in your home).

Code Filer:

An individual who has been designated in a state or local agency's conflict of interest code to file statements of economic interests.

An individual hired on or after January 1, 2010 for a position not yet covered under an agency's conflict of interest code must file Form 700 if the individual serves in a position that makes or participates in making governmental decisions. These individuals must file under the broadest disclosure category until the code is amended to include the new position unless the agency has provided in writing a limited disclosure requirement. Agencies may use FPPC Form 804 for such disclosure. See Regulation 18734.

Commission Income:

"Commission income" means gross payments of $500 or more received during the period covered by the statement as a broker, agent, or salesperson, including insurance brokers or agents, real estate brokers or agents, travel agents or salespersons, stockbrokers, and retail or wholesale salespersons, among others.

In addition, you may be required to disclose the names of sources of commission income if your pro rata share of the gross income was $10,000 or more from a single source during the reporting period. If your spouse or registered domestic partner received commission income, you would disclose your community property share (50%) of that income (that is, the names of sources of $20,000 or more in gross commission income received by your spouse or registered domestic partner).

Report commission income as follows:

If the income was received through a business entity in which you and your spouse or registered domestic partner had a 10% or greater ownership interest (or if you receive commission income on a regular basis as an independent contractor or agent), use Schedule A-2.
If the income was received through a business entity in which you or your spouse or registered domestic partner did not receive commission income on a regular basis or you had a less than 10% ownership interest, use Schedule C.

The "source" of commission income generally includes all parties to a transaction, and each is attributed the full value of the commission.

Examples:

You are a partner in Smith and Jones Insurance Company and have a 50% ownership interest in the company. You sold two Businessmen's Insurance Company policies to XYZ Company during the reporting period. You received commission income of $5,000 from the first transaction and $6,000 from the second. On Schedule A-2, report your partnership interest in and income received from Smith and Jones Insurance Company in Parts 1 and 2. In Part 3, list both Businessmen's Insurance Company and XYZ Company as sources of $10,000 or more in commission income.
You are a stockbroker for Prince Investments, but you have no ownership interest in the firm. You receive commission income on a regular basis through the sale of stock to clients. Your total gross income from your employment with Prince Investments was over $100,000 during the reporting period. On Schedule A-2, report your name as the name of the business entity in Part 1 and the gross income you have received in Part 2. (Because you are an employee of Prince Investments, you do not need to complete the information in the box in Part 1 indicating the general description of business activity, fair market value, or nature of investment.) In Part 3, list Prince Investments and the names of any clients who were sources of $10,000 or more in commission income to you.
You are a real estate agent and an independent contractor under Super Realty. On Schedule A-2, Part 1, in addition to your name or business name, complete the business entity description box. In
Part 2, identify your gross income. In Part 3, for each transaction that resulted in commission income to you of $10,000 or more, you must identify the brokerage entity, each person you represented, and any person who received a finder's or other referral fee for referring a party to the transaction to the broker.

Note: If your pro rata share of commission income from a single source is $500 or more, you may be required to disqualify yourself from decisions affecting that source of income, even though you are not required to report the income. For information regarding disclosure of "incentive compensation," see Reference Pamphlet, page 12.

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Conflict of Interest:

A public official or employee has a conflict of interest under the Act when all of the following occur:

The official makes, participates in making, or uses his or her official position to influence a governmental decision;
It is reasonably foreseeable that the decision will affect the official's economic interest;
The effect of the decision on the official's economic interest will be material; and
The effect of the decision on the official's economic interest will be different than its effect on the public generally.

Conflict of Interest Code:

The Act requires every state and local government agency to adopt a conflict of interest code. The code may be contained in a regulation, policy statement, or a city or county ordinance, resolution, or other document.

An agency's conflict of interest code must designate all officials and employees of, and consultants to, the agency who make or participate in making governmental decisions that could cause conflicts of interest. These individuals are required by the code to file statements of economic interests and to disqualify themselves when conflicts of interest occur.

The disclosure required under a conflict of interest code for a particular designated official or employee should include only the kinds of personal economic interests he or she could significantly affect through the exercise of his or her official duties. For example, an employee whose duties are limited to reviewing contracts for supplies, equipment, materials, or services provided to the agency should be required to report only those interests he or she holds that are likely to be affected by the agency's contracts for supplies, equipment, materials, or services.

Consultant:

An individual who contracts with or whose employer contracts with state or local government agencies and who makes, participates in making, or acts in a staff capacity for making governmental decisions. The agency determines who is a consultant. Consultants may be required to file Form 700. Such consultants would file under full disclosure unless the agency provides in writing a limited disclosure requirement. Agencies may use FPPC Form 805 to assign such disclosure. The obligation to file Form 700 is always imposed on the individual who is providing services to the agency, not on the business or firm that employs the individual.

FPPC Regulation 18701 defines "consultant" as an individual who makes a governmental decision whether to:

Approve a rate, rule, or regulation
Adopt or enforce a law
Issue, deny, suspend, or revoke any permit, license, application, certificate, approval, order, or similar authorization or entitlement
Authorize the agency to enter into, modify, or renew a contract provided it is the type of contract that requires agency approval
Grant agency approval to a contract that requires agency approval and to which the agency is a party, or to the specifications for such a contract
Adopt, or grant agency approval of, policies, standards, or guidelines for the agency or for any of its subdivisions

A consultant also is an individual who serves in a staff capacity with the agency and:

participates in making a governmental decision; or
performs the same or substantially all the same duties for the agency that would otherwise be performed by an individual holding a position specified in the agency's conflict of interest code.

Designated Employee:

An official or employee of a state or local government agency whose position has been designated in the agency's conflict of interest code to file statements of economic interests or whose position has not yet been listed in the code but makes or participates in making governmental decisions. Individuals who contract with government agencies (consultants) may also be designated in a conflict of interest code.

A federal officer or employee serving in an official federal capacity on a state or local government agency is not a designated employee.

Disclosure Categories:

The section of an agency's conflict of interest code that specifies the types of personal economic interests officials and employees of the agency must disclose on their statements of economic interests. Disclosure categories are usually contained in an appendix or attachment to the conflict of interest code. Contact your agency to obtain a copy of your disclosure categories.

Diversified Mutual Fund:

the money of many individuals and investing it to seek a common investment goal. Mutual funds are managed by trained professionals who buy and sell securities. A typical mutual fund will own between 75 to 100 separate securities at any given time so they also provide instant diversification. Only diversified mutual funds registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Company Act of 1940 are exempt from disclosure. In addition, Regulation 18237 provides an exception from reporting other funds that are similar to diversified mutual funds. See Reference Pamphlet, page 13.

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Elected State Officer:

Elected state officers include the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, State Controller, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, members of the State Legislature, members of the State Board of Equalization, elected members of the Board of Administration of the California Public Employees' Retirement System and members elected to the Teachers' Retirement Board.

Enforcement:

The FPPC investigates suspected violations of the Act. Other law enforcement agencies (the Attorney General or district attorney) also may initiate investigations under certain circumstances. If violations are found, the Commission may initiate administrative enforcement proceedings that could result in fines of up to $5,000 per violation.

Instead of administrative prosecution, a civil action may be brought for negligent or intentional violations by the appropriate civil prosecutor (the Commission, Attorney General, or district attorney), or a private party residing within the jurisdiction. In civil actions, the measure of damages is up to the amount or value not properly reported.

Persons who violate the conflict of interest disclosure provisions of the Act also may be subject to agency discipline, including dismissal.

Finally, a knowing or willful violation of any provision of the Act is a misdemeanor. Persons convicted of a misdemeanor may be disqualified for four years from the date of the conviction from serving as a lobbyist or running for elective office, in addition to other penalties that may be imposed. The Act also provides for numerous civil penalties, including monetary penalties and damages, and injunctive relief from the courts.

Expanded Statement:

Some officials or employees may have multiple filing obligations (for example, a city council member who also holds a designated position with a county agency, board, or commission). Such officials or employees may complete one expanded statement covering the disclosure requirements for all positions and file a complete, originally signed copy with each agency.

Fair Market Value:

When reporting the value of an investment, interest in real property, or gift, you must disclose the fair market value – the price at which the item would sell for on the open market. This is particularly important when valuing gifts, because the fair market value of a gift may be different from the amount it cost the donor to provide the gift. For example, the wholesale cost of a bouquet of flowers may be $10, but the fair market value may be $25 or more. In addition, there are special rules for valuing free tickets and passes. Call or email the FPPC for assistance.

Gift and Honoraria Prohibitions:

Gifts:

State and local officials who are listed in Gov. Code Section 87200 (except judges – see below), candidates for these elective offices (including judicial candidates), and officials and employees of state and local government agencies who are designated in a conflict of interest code are prohibited from accepting a gift or gifts totaling more than $460 in a calendar year from a single source during 2015-2016. During 2014, the gift limit was $440.

In addition, elected state officers, candidates for elective state offices, and officials and employees of state agencies are subject to a $10 per calendar month limit on gifts from lobbyists and lobbying firms registered with the Secretary of State.

Honoraria:

State and local officials who are listed in Gov. Code Section 87200 (except judges – see below), candidates for these elective offices (including judicial candidates), and employees of state and local government agencies who are designated in a conflict of interest code are prohibited from accepting honoraria for any speech given, article published, or attendance at any public or private conference, convention, meeting, social event, meal, or like gathering.

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Exceptions:

Some gifts are not reportable or subject to the gift and honoraria prohibitions, and other gifts may not be subject to the prohibitions, but are reportable. For detailed information, see the FPPC fact sheet entitled "Limitations and Restrictions on Gifts, Honoraria, Travel, and Loans," which can be obtained from your filing officer or the FPPC website (www.fppc.ca.gov).
The $460 gift limit ($440 in 2014) and the honorarium prohibition do not apply to a part-time member of the governing board of a public institution of higher education, unless the member is also an elected official.
If you are designated in a state or local government agency's conflict of interest code, the $460 gift limit ($440 in 2014) and honorarium prohibition are applicable only to sources you would otherwise be required to report on your statement of economic interests. However, this exception is not applicable if you also hold a position listed in Gov. Code Section 87200 (See Reference Pamphlet, page 3.)
For state agency officials and employees, the $10 lobbyist/lobbying firm gift limit is applicable only to lobbyists and lobbying firms registered to lobby your agency. This exception is not applicable if you are an elected state officer or a member or employee of the State Legislature.
Payments for articles published as part of the practice of a bona fide business, trade, or profession, such as teaching, are not considered honoraria. A payment for an "article published" that is customarily provided in connection with teaching includes text book royalties and payments for academic tenure review letters. An official is presumed to be engaged in the bona fide profession of teaching if he or she is employed to teach at an accredited university.

Judges:

Section 170.9 of the Code of Civil Procedure imposes gift limits on judges and prohibits judges from accepting any honorarium. Section 170.9 is enforced by the Commission on Judicial Performance. The FPPC has no authority to interpret or enforce the Code of Civil Procedure. Court commissioners are subject to the gift limit under the Political Reform Act.

Income Reporting:

Reporting income under the Act is different than reporting income for tax purposes. The Act requires gross income (the amount received before deducting losses, expenses, or taxes, as well as income reinvested in a business entity) to be reported.

Pro Rata Share:

The instructions for reporting income refer to your pro rata share of the income received. Your pro rata share is normally based on your ownership interest in the entity or property. For example, if you are a sole proprietor, you must disclose 100% of the gross income to the business entity on Schedule A-2. If you own 25% of a piece of rental property, you must report 25% of the gross rental income received. When reporting your community property interest in your spouse's or registered domestic partner's income, your pro rata share is 50% of his or her income.

When you are required to report sources of income to a business entity, sources of rental income, or sources of commission income, you are only required to disclose individual sources of income of $10,000 or more. However, you may be required to disqualify yourself from decisions affecting sources of $500 or more in income, even though you are not required to report them.

Examples:

Alice Ruiz is a partner in a business entity. She has a 25% interest. On Schedule A-2, she must disclose 25% of the fair market value of the business entity; 25% of the gross income to the business entity (even though all of the income received was reinvested in the business and she did not personally receive any income from the business); and the name of each source of $40,000 or more to the business.
Cynthia and Mark Johnson, a married couple, own Classic Autos. Income to this business was $200,000. In determining the amount to report for income on Schedule A-2, Part 2, Mark must include his 50% share ($100,000) and 50% of his spouse's share ($50,000). Thus, his reportable income would be $150,000 and he will check the box indicating $100,001-$1,000,000. (Also see Reference Pamphlet, page 13, for an example of how to calculate the value of this investment.)

You are not required to report:

Salary, reimbursement for expenses or per diem, social security, disability, or other similar benefit payments received by you or your spouse or registered domestic partner from a federal, state, or local government agency
A travel payment that was received from a non-profit entity exempt from taxation under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) for which you provided equal or greater consideration, such as reimbursement for travel on business for a 501(c)(3) organization for which you are a board member.

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Campaign contributions
A cash bequest or cash inheritance
Returns on a security registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including dividends, interest, or proceeds from a sale of stocks or bonds
Redemption of a mutual fund
Payments received under an insurance policy, including an annuity
Interest, dividends, or premiums on a time or demand deposit in a financial institution, shares in a credit union, an insurance policy, or a bond or other debt instrument issued by a government agency
Your spouse's or registered domestic partner's income that is legally "separate" income so long as the funds are not commingled with community funds or used to pay community expenses
Income of dependent children
Automobile trade-in allowances from dealers
Loans and loan repayments received from your spouse or registered domestic partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew, niece, aunt, uncle, or first cousin unless he or she was acting as an intermediary or agent for any person not covered by this provision
Alimony or child support payments
Payments received under a defined benefit pension plan qualified under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a)
Any loan from a commercial lending institution made in the lender's regular course of business on terms available to the public without regard to your official status
Any retail installment or credit card debts incurred in the creditor's regular course of business on terms available to the public without regard to your official status
Loans made to others. However, repayments may be reportable on Schedule C
A loan you co-signed for another person unless you made payments on the loan during the reporting period

Incentive Compensation: "Incentive compensation" means income over and above salary that is either ongoing or cumulative, or both, as sales or purchases of goods or services accumulate. Incentive compensation is calculated by a predetermined formula set by the official's employer which correlates to the conduct of the purchaser in direct response to the effort of the official.

Incentive compensation does not include:

Salary
Commission income (For information regarding disclosure of "commission income," see Reference Pamphlet, page 8.)
Bonuses for activity not related to sales or marketing, the amount of which is based solely on merit or hours worked over and above a predetermined minimum
Executive incentive plans based on company performance, provided that the formula for determining the amount of the executive's incentive income does not include a correlation between that amount and increased profits derived from increased business with specific and identifiable clients or customers of the company
Payments for personal services which are not marketing or sales

The purchaser is a source of income to the official if all three of the following apply:

the official's employment responsibilities include directing sales or marketing activity toward the purchaser; and
there is direct personal contact between the official and the purchaser intended by the official to generate sales or business; and
there is a direct relationship between the purchasing activity of the purchaser and the amount of the incentive compensation received by the official.

Report incentive compensation as follows:

In addition to salary, reimbursement of expenses, and other income received from your employer, separately report on Schedule C the name of each person who purchased products or services sold, marketed or represented by you if you received incentive compensation of $500 or more attributable to the purchaser during the period covered by the statement.
If incentive compensation is paid by your employer in a lump sum, without allocation of amounts to specific customers, you must determine the amount of incentive compensation attributable to each of your customers. This may be based on the volume of sales to those customers.

(See Regulations 18703.3 and 18728.5 for more information.)

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Investment Funds: The term "investment" no longer includes certain exchange traded funds, closed-end funds, or funds held in an Internal Revenue Code qualified plan. These non-reportable investment funds (1) must be bona fide investment funds that pool money from more than 100 investors, (2) must hold securities of more than 15 issuers, and (3) cannot have a stated policy of concentrating their holdings in the same industry or business ("sector funds"). In addition, the filer may not influence or control the decision to purchase or sell the specific fund on behalf of his or her agency during the reporting period or influence or control the selection of any specific investment purchased or sold by the fund. (Regulation 18237)

Investments and Interests in Real Property:

When disclosing investments on Schedules A-1 or A-2 and interests in real property on Schedules A-2 or B, you must include investments and interests in real property held by your spouse or registered domestic partner, and those held by your dependent children, as if you held them directly.

Examples:

Terry Pearson, her husband, and two dependent children each own $600 in stock in General Motors. Because the total value of their holdings is $2,400, Terry must disclose the stock as an investment on Schedule A-1.
Cynthia and Mark Johnson, a married couple, jointly own Classic Autos. Mark must disclose Classic Autos as an investment on Schedule A-2. To determine the reportable value of the investment, Mark will aggregate the value of his 50% interest and Cynthia's 50% interest. Thus, if the total value of the business entity is $150,000, he will check the box $100,001 - $1,000,000 in Part 1 of Schedule A-2. (Also see Reference Pamphlet, page 11, for an example of how to calculate reportable income.)
The Johnsons also own the property where Classic Autos is located. To determine the reportable value of the real property, Mark will again aggregate the value of his 50% interest and Cynthia's 50% interest to determine the amount to report in Part 4 of Schedule A-2.
Katie Smith rents out a room in her home. She receives $6,000 a year in rental income. Katie will report the fair market value of the rental portion of her residence and the income received on Schedule B.

Jurisdiction:

Report discloseable investments and sources of income (including loans, gifts, and travel payments) that are either located in or doing business in your agency's jurisdiction, are planning to do business in your agency's jurisdiction, or have done business during the previous two years in your agency's jurisdiction, and interests in real property located in your agency's jurisdiction.

A business entity is doing business in your agency's jurisdiction if the entity has business contacts on a regular or substantial basis with a person who maintains a physical presence in your jurisdiction.

Business contacts include, but are not limited to, manufacturing, distributing, selling, purchasing, or providing services or goods. Business contacts do not include marketing via the Internet, telephone, television, radio, or printed media.

The same criteria are used to determine whether an individual, organization, or other entity is doing business in your jurisdiction.

Exception:

Gifts are reportable regardless of the location of the donor. For example, a state agency official with full disclosure must report gifts from sources located outside of California. (Designated employees/code filers should consult their disclosure categories to determine if the donor of a gift is of the type that must be disclosed.)

When reporting interests in real property, if your jurisdiction is the state, you must disclose real property located within the state of California unless your agency's conflict of interest code specifies otherwise.

For local agencies, an interest in real property is located in your jurisdiction if any part of the property is located in, or within two miles of, the region, city, county, district, or other geographical area in which the agency has jurisdiction, or if the property is located within two miles of any land owned or used by the agency.

See the following explanations to determine what your jurisdiction is:

State Offices and All Courts: Your jurisdiction is the state if you are an elected state officer, a state legislator, or a candidate for one of these offices. Judges, judicial candidates, and court commissioners also have statewide jurisdiction. (In re Baty (1979) 5 FPPC Ops. 10) If you are an official or employee of, or a consultant to, a state board, commission, or agency, or of any court or the State Legislature, your jurisdiction is the state.

County Offices:Your jurisdiction is the county if you are an elected county officer, a candidate for county office, or if you are an official or employee of, or a consultant to, a county agency or any agency with jurisdiction solely within a single county.

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City Offices: Your jurisdiction is the city if you are an elected city officer, a candidate for city office, or you are an official or employee of, or a consultant to, a city agency or any agency with jurisdiction solely within a single city.

Multi-County Offices: If you are an elected officer, candidate, official or employee of, or a consultant to a multi-county agency, your jurisdiction is the region, district, or other geographical area in which the agency has jurisdiction. (Example: A water district has jurisdiction in a portion of two counties. Members of the board are only required to report interests located or doing business in that portion of each county in which the agency has jurisdiction.)

Other (for example, school districts, special districts and JPAs): If you are an elected officer, candidate, official or employee of, or a consultant to an agency not covered above, your jurisdiction is the region, district, or other geographical area in which the agency has jurisdiction. See the multi-county example above.

Leasehold Interest:

The term "interest in real property" includes leasehold interests. An interest in a lease on real property is reportable if the value of the leasehold interest is $2,000 or more. The value of the interest is the total amount of rent owed by you during the reporting period or, for a candidate or assuming office statement, during the prior 12 months.

You are not required to disclose a leasehold interest with a value of less than $2,000 or a month-to-month tenancy.

Loan Reporting:

Filers are not required to report loans from commercial lending institutions or any indebtedness created as part of retail installment or credit card transactions that are made in the lender's regular course of business, without regard to official status, on terms available to members of the public.

Loan Restrictions:

State and local elected and appointed public officials are prohibited from receiving any personal loan totaling more than $250 from an official, employee, or consultant of their government agencies or any government agency over which the official or the official's agency has direction or control. In addition, loans of more than $250 from any person who has a contract with the official's agency or an agency under the official's control are prohibited unless the loan is from a commercial lending institution or part of a retail installment or credit card transaction made in the regular course of business on terms available to members of the public.

State and local elected officials are also prohibited from receiving any personal loan of $500 or more unless the loan agreement is in writing and clearly states the terms of the loan, including the parties to the loan agreement, the date, amount, and term of the loan, the date or dates when payments are due, the amount of the payments, and the interest rate on the loan.

Campaign loans and loans from family members are not subject to the $250 and $500 loan prohibitions.

A personal loan made to a public official that is not being repaid or is being repaid below certain amounts will become a gift to the official under certain circumstances. Contact the FPPC for further information, or see the FPPC fact sheet entitled "Limitations and Restrictions on Gifts, Honoraria, Travel, and Loans," which can be obtained from your filing officer or the FPPC website (www.fppc.ca.gov).

Privileged Information:

FPPC Regulation 18740 sets out specific procedures that must be followed in order to withhold the name of a source of income. Under this regulation, you are not required to disclose on Schedule A-2, Part 3, the name of a person who paid fees or made payments to a business entity if disclosure of the name would violate a legally recognized privilege under California law. However, you must provide an explanation for nondisclosure separately stating, for each undisclosed person, the legal basis for the assertion of the privilege, facts demonstrating why the privilege is applicable, and that to the best of your knowledge you have not and will not make, participate in making, or use your official position to influence a governmental decision affecting the undisclosed person in violation of Government Code Section 87100. This explanation may be included with, or attached to, the public official's Form 700.

We note that the name of a source of income is privileged only to a limited extent under California law. For example, a name is protected by attorney-client privilege only when facts concerning an attorney's representation of an anonymous client are publicly known and those facts, when coupled with disclosure of the client's identity, might expose the client to an official investigation or to civil or criminal liability. A patient's name is protected by physician-patient privilege only when disclosure of the patient's name would also reveal the nature of the treatment received by the patient. A patient's name is also protected if the disclosure of the patient's name would constitute a violation by an entity covered under the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (also known as HIPAA).

Public Officials Who Manage Public Investments:

Individuals who invest public funds in revenue-producing programs must file Form 700. This includes individuals who direct or approve investment transactions, formulate or approve investment policies, and establish guidelines for asset allocations. FPPC Regulation 18701 defines "public officials who manage public investments" to include the following:

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Members of boards and commissions, including pension and retirement boards or commissions, and committees thereof, who exercise responsibility for the management of public investments;
High-level officers and employees of public agencies who exercise primary responsibility for the management of public investments (for example, chief or principal investment officers or chief financial managers); and
Individuals who, pursuant to a contract with a state or local government agency, perform the same or substantially all the same functions described above.

Registered Domestic Partners:

Filers must report investments and interests in real property held by, and sources of income to, registered domestic partners. (See Regulation 18229.)

Retirement Accounts (for example, deferred compensation and individual retirement accounts (IRAs)):

Assets held in retirement accounts must be disclosed if the assets are reportable items, such as common stock (investments) or real estate (interests in real property). For help in determining whether your investments and real property are reportable, see the instructions to Schedules A-1, A-2, and B.

If your retirement account holds reportable assets, disclose only the assets held in the account, not the account itself. You may have to contact your account manager to determine the assets contained in your account.

Schedule A-1: Report any business entity in which the value of your investment interest was $2,000 or more during the reporting period. (Use Schedule A-2 if you have a 10% or greater ownership interest in the business entity.)

Schedule B:Report any piece of real property in which the value of your interest was $2,000 or more during the reporting period.

Examples:

Alice McSherry deposits $500 per month into her employer's deferred compensation program. She has chosen to purchase shares in two diversified mutual funds registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Because her funds are invested solely in non-reportable mutual funds (see Schedule A-1 instructions), Alice has no disclosure requirements with regard to the deferred compensation program.
Bob Allison has $6,000 in an individual retirement account with an investment firm. The account contains stock in several companies doing business in his jurisdiction. One of his stock holdings, Misac Computers, reached a value of $2,500 during the reporting period. The value of his investment in each of the other companies was less than $2,000. Bob must report Misac Computers as an investment on Schedule A-1 because the value of his stock in that company was $2,000 or more.
Adriane Fisher has $5,000 in a retirement fund that invests in real property located in her jurisdiction. The value of her interest in each piece of real property held in the fund was less than $2,000 during the reporting period. Although her retirement fund holds reportable assets, she has no disclosure requirement because she did not have a $2,000 or greater interest in any single piece of real property. If, in the future, the value of her interest in a single piece of real property reaches or exceeds $2,000, she will be required to disclose the real property on Schedule B for that reporting period.

Trusts:

Investments and interests in real property held and income received by a trust (including a living trust) are reported on Schedule A-2 if you, your spouse or registered domestic partner, and your dependent children together had a 10% or greater interest in the trust and your pro rata share of a single investment or interest in real property was $2,000 or more.

You have an interest in a trust if you are a trustor and:

Can revoke or terminate the trust;
Have retained or reserved any rights to the income or principal of the trust or retained any reversionary or remainder interest; or
Have retained any power of appointment, including the power to change the trustee or the beneficiaries.

Or you are a beneficiary and:

Presently receive income; or
Have an irrevocable future right to receive income or principal. (See FPPC Regulation 18234 for more information.)

Examples:

Sarah Murphy has set up a living trust that holds her principal residence, stock in several companies that do business in her jurisdiction, and a rental home in her agency's jurisdiction. Since Sarah is the trustor and can revoke or terminate the trust, she must disclose any stock worth $2,000 or more and the rental home on Schedule A-2. Sarah's residence is not reportable because it is used exclusively as her personal residence.
Ben Yee is listed as a beneficiary in his grandparents' trust. However, Ben does not presently receive income from the trust, nor does he have an irrevocable future right to receive income or principal. Therefore, Ben is not required to disclose any assets contained in his grandparents' trust.

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Blind Trusts:

A blind trust is a trust managed by a disinterested trustee who has complete discretion to purchase and sell assets held by the trust. If you have a direct, indirect, or beneficial interest in a blind trust, you may not be required to disclose your pro rata share of the trust's assets or income. However, the trust must meet the standards set out in FPPC Regulation 18235, and you must disclose reportable assets originally transferred into the blind trust and income from those original assets on Schedule A-2 until they have been disposed of by the trustee.

Trustees:

If you are only a trustee, you do not have a reportable interest in the trust. However, you may be required to report the income you received from the trust for performing trustee services.

Wedding Gifts:

Wedding gifts must be disclosed if they were received from a reportable source during the period covered by the statement. Gifts valued at $50 or more are reportable; however, a wedding gift is considered a gift to both spouses equally. Therefore, you would count one-half of the value of a wedding gift to determine if it is reportable and need only report individual gifts with a total value of $100 or more.

For example, you receive a place setting of china valued at $150 from a reportable source as a wedding gift. Because the value to you is $50 or more, you must report the gift on Schedule D, but may state its value as $75.

Wedding gifts are not subject to the $460 gift limit, but they are subject to the $10 lobbyist/lobbying firm gift limit for state officials.

Privacy Information Notice

Information requested on all FPPC forms is used by the FPPC to administer and enforce the Political Reform Act (Gov. Code Sections 81000-91014 and California Code of Regulations Sections 18109-18997). All information required by these forms is mandated by the Political Reform Act. Failure to provide all of the information required by the Act is a violation subject to administrative, criminal, or civil prosecution. All reports and statements provided are public records open for public inspection and reproduction.

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Notice or how to access your personal information, please contact the FPPC at:

General Counsel
Fair Political Practices Commission
428 J Street, Suite 620
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 322-5660
(866) 275-3772

[End of Reference Pamphlet Pages 8 through 16 - Terms and Definitions]