FPPC Enforcement Decisions: April 25, 2013

.pdf version of news release

Contact: Jay Wierenga, (916) 322-7761

Sacramento - The FPPC is making it easier for officials and employees to track gifts they receive throughout the year. We are proud to announce that the FPPC Gift Tracker, a new Android application, is now available for officials and employees who are required to file the Form 700.

The FPPC Gift Tracker allows individuals to record and track gifts received by multiple sources. The application contains several fantastic features, including the ability to export the gift data into a spreadsheet. This will likely be the most exciting feature for users because the spreadsheet may then be attached to the Form 700 as the gift report schedule.

Another great feature is the ability to search for a particular source and display the value of gifts that have been received by that source. This helps to ensure that the official or employee does not receive gifts over the maximum allowable amount from a single source in a calendar year. In addition, the application allows the user to contact gift sources through text, email, or telephone, to let them know what they plan to report. For example, using the FPPC Gift Tracker, an official can contact a reception host to let them know what they consumed at the reception. This way the official and reception host are reporting consistently.

"We are extremely proud of our latest effort to make the disclosure and reporting rules for officials and employees less burdensome and time-consuming," said Ann Ravel, Chair of the FPPC. "We believe that the FPPC Gift Tracker will not only assist officials and employees and save their time and resources, but will also help the public to ensure that gift information is disclosed accurately."

The data is stored on the user's phone only and is not collected electronically by the FPPC - it is strictly for an individual's use. The FPPC Gift Tracker is free and may be accessed and downloaded through Google Play. An IOS application for iPhone users is in the works and we hope to release it soon.

# # #