The Overview

Next time you drive past a billboard or spot a yard sign, look closely, because California now wants you to see who is paying for it. Under a new California law, larger print ads such as billboards and yard signs must list their top contributors' names separated by bullet points or numbers. California's SB 900, the Print Ads DISCLOSE Act, updates campaign ad disclosure rules for print, billboard, and electronic ads, and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed it Sept. 27. ​

Outside spending on California legislative races reached nearly $100 million in 2024, according to CalMatters, illustrating the volume of political advertising voters encounter each cycle. The bill became law on September 27, 2026, when the Secretary of State chaptered it as Chapter 659, Statutes of 2026.

What the Law Does

Under existing California law, committees paying for ads could shorten their names in disclosures. The law defines large-format print ads, such as yard signs and billboards, as those exceeding 187 square inches, and requires top-contributor names to appear separated by bullet points or numbered 1, 2, or 3, in a specified order. Those same rules now also apply to electronic ads displayed on a physical surface.

For independent expenditure ads, the required disclaimer is shortened to "Not paid for by candidate," with a parallel version when a candidate for another office paid for the ad. The bill, which became law in September, declares that it furthers the purposes of the Political Reform Act of 1974.

Legislative Status

Sen. Jerry McNerney (D) authored the bill, joined by principal coauthors Sen. Ben Allen (D), Sen. Tom Umberg (D), Sen. Sabrina Cervantes (D), and Asm. José Solache (D), plus coauthor Sen. Lee.

The Senate passed the bill through four recorded votes, all without a no vote: 5-0 on April 21, 7-0 on May 4, 7-0 on May 14, and 39-0 on May 28. The full Assembly passed it 79-0 on Aug. 30, and the Senate concurred in Assembly amendments the same day, 39-0.

The bill was co-sponsored by the California Clean Money Campaign and the California State Outdoor Advertising Association, according to Sen. McNerney's office. McNerney said the law "updates California's campaign disclosure rules so that voters can better understand who is funding the flood of campaign ads each election cycle," according to his office's signing announcement.

---

AllCiv makes it easy to stay politically informed and involved.

---

Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article