Gift Made with Intent to Influence

Every person who obtains, or seeks to obtain, money or other thing of value from another person upon a pretense, claim, or representation that he can or will improperly influence in any matter the action of any member of a legislative body in regard to any vote or legislative matter, is guilty of a felony. Upon the trial no person otherwise competent as a witness may be excused from testifying concerning the offense charged on the grounds that the testimony may criminate himself, or subject him to public infamy. The testimony shall not afterwards be used against him in any judicial proceeding except for perjury in giving the testimony.

Cal. Gov’t Code § 9054.

Extra Compensation for Official Duties

(b) A Member of the Legislature shall not do any of the following: . . .

(4) Receive or agree to receive, directly or indirectly, any compensation, reward, or gift from any source except the State of California for any service, advice, assistance or other matter related to the legislative process, except fees for speeches or published works on legislative subjects and except, in connection therewith, reimbursement of expenses for actual expenditures for travel and reasonable subsistence for which payment or reimbursement is not made by the State of California.

Cal. Gov’t Code § 8920(b)(4).

Gift from Regardless of Giver Status

Gifts and Elected Officers

  1. (a) An elected state officer, elected officer of a local government agency, or other individual specified in Section 87200 shall not accept gifts from any single source in any calendar year with a total value of more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250).
  2. (b)
    1. (1) A candidate for elective state office, for judicial office, or for elective office in a local government agency shall not accept gifts from any single source in any calendar year with a total value of more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250). A person shall be deemed a candidate for purposes of this subdivision when the person has filed a statement of organization as a committee for election to a state or local office, a declaration of intent, or a declaration of candidacy, whichever occurs first. A person shall not be deemed a candidate for purposes of this subdivision after the person is sworn into the elective office, or, if the person lost the election, after the person has terminated the person’s campaign statement filing obligations for that office pursuant to Section 84214 or after certification of the election results, whichever is earlier.
    2. (2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to any person who is a candidate as described in paragraph (1) for judicial office on or before December 31, 1996.

Gifts and Members of a State Board or Commission or Designated Employee of a State or Local Government Agency

  1. (c) A member of a state board or commission or designated employee of a state or local government agency shall not accept gifts from any single source in any calendar year with a total value of more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) if the member or employee would be required to report the receipt of income or gifts from that source on the member’s statement of economic interests.
  2. (d) This section does not apply to a person in the person’s capacity as judge. This section does not apply to a person in the person’s capacity as a part-time member of the governing board of any public institution of higher education unless that position is an elective office.
  3. (e) This section does not prohibit or limit the following:
    1. Payments, advances, or reimbursements for travel and related lodging and subsistence permitted by Section 89506.
    2. Wedding gifts and gifts exchanged between individuals on birthdays, holidays, and other similar occasions, provided that the gifts exchanged are not substantially disproportionate in value.
  4. (f) Beginning on January 1, 1993, the commission shall adjust the gift limitation in this section on January 1 of each odd-numbered year to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index, rounded to the nearest ten dollars ($10).
  5. (g) The limitations in this section are in addition to the limitations on gifts in Section 86203.

Cal. Gov’t Code § 89503. See also Cal. Gov’t Code § 89506 (exception for some travel).

Gifts and Judges

  1. (a) A judge shall not accept gifts from a single source in a calendar year with a total value of more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250). This section shall not be construed to authorize the receipt of gifts that would otherwise be prohibited by the Code of Judicial Ethics adopted by the California Supreme Court or any other law.
  2. (b) This section shall not prohibit or limit the following:
    1. Payments, advances, or reimbursements for travel and related lodging and subsistence permitted by subdivision (e).
    2. Wedding gifts and gifts exchanged between individuals on birthdays, holidays, and other similar occasions, if the gifts exchanged are not substantially disproportionate in value.
    3. A gift, bequest, favor, or loan from a person whose preexisting relationship with a judge would prevent the judge from hearing a case involving that person, under the Code of Judicial Ethics adopted by the California Supreme Court.
  3. (c) For purposes of this section, “judge” includes all of the following:
    1. Judges of the superior courts.
    2. Justices of the courts of appeal and the Supreme Court.
    3. Subordinate judicial officers, as defined in Section 71601 of the Government Code.
  4. (d) The gift limitation amounts in this section shall be adjusted biennially by the Commission on Judicial Performance to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index, rounded to the nearest ten dollars ($10).
  5. (e) Payments, advances, or reimbursements for travel, including actual transportation and related lodging and subsistence that is reasonably related to a judicial or governmental purpose, or to an issue of state, national, or international public policy, are not prohibited or limited by this section if any of the following apply:
    1. The travel is in connection with a speech, practice demonstration, or group or panel discussion given or participated in by the judge, the lodging and subsistence expenses are limited to the day immediately preceding, the day of, and the day immediately following the speech, demonstration, or discussion, and the travel is within the United States.
    2. The travel is provided by a government, a governmental agency or authority, a foreign government, a foreign bar association, an international service organization, a bona fide public or private educational institution, as defined in Section 203 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, or a nonprofit charitable or religious organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or by a person domiciled outside the United States who substantially satisfies the requirements for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
      1. For purposes of this section, “foreign bar association” means an association of attorneys located outside the United States (A) that performs functions substantially equivalent to those performed by state or local bar associations in this state and (B) that permits membership by attorneys in that country representing various legal specialties and does not limit membership to attorneys generally representing one side or another in litigation. “International service organization” means a bona fide international service organization of which the judge is a member. A judge who accepts travel payments from an international service organization pursuant to this subdivision shall not preside over or participate in decisions affecting that organization, its state or local chapters, or its local members.
    3. The travel is provided by a state or local bar association or judges professional association in connection with testimony before a governmental body or attendance at any professional function hosted by the bar association or judges professional association, the lodging and subsistence expenses are limited to the day immediately preceding, the day of, and the day immediately following the professional function.
  6. (f) Payments, advances, and reimbursements for travel not described in subdivision (e) are subject to the limit in subdivision (a).
  7. (g) No judge shall accept any honorarium.
  8. (h) “Honorarium” means a payment made in consideration for any speech given, article published, or attendance at a public or private conference, convention, meeting, social event, meal, or like gathering.
  9. (i) “Honorarium” does not include earned income for personal services that are customarily provided in connection with the practice of a bona fide business, trade, or profession, such as teaching or writing for a publisher, and does not include fees or other things of value received pursuant to Section 94.5 of the Penal Code for performance of a marriage.
    1. For purposes of this section, “teaching” shall include presentations to impart educational information to lawyers in events qualifying for credit under mandatory continuing legal education, to students in bona fide educational institutions, and to associations or groups of judges.
  10. (j) Subdivisions (a) and (e) shall apply to all payments, advances, and reimbursements for travel and related lodging and subsistence.
  11. (k) This section does not apply to any honorarium that is not used and, within 30 days after receipt, is either returned to the donor or delivered to the Controller for deposit in the General Fund without being claimed as a deduction from income for tax purposes.
  12. “Gift” means a payment to the extent that consideration of equal or greater value is not received and includes a rebate or discount in the price of anything of value unless the rebate or discount is made in the regular course of business to members of the public without regard to official status. A person, other than a defendant in a criminal action, who claims that a payment is not a gift by reason of receipt of consideration has the burden of proving that the consideration received is of equal or greater value. However, the term “gift” does not include any of the following:
    1. Informational material such as books, reports, pamphlets, calendars, periodicals, cassettes and discs, or free or reduced-price admission, tuition, or registration, for informational conferences or seminars. No payment for travel or reimbursement for any expenses shall be deemed “informational material.”
    2. Gifts that are not used and, within 30 days after receipt, are returned to the donor or delivered to a charitable organization without being claimed as a charitable contribution for tax purposes.
    3. Gifts from a judge’s spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, parent-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephew, niece, aunt, uncle, or first cousin or the spouse of any such person. However, a gift from any of those persons shall be considered a gift if the donor is acting as an agent or intermediary for a person not covered by this paragraph.
    4. Campaign contributions required to be reported under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 84100) of Title 9 of the Government Code.
    5. Any devise or inheritance.
    6. Personalized plaques and trophies with an individual value of less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250).
    7. Admission to events hosted by state or local bar associations or judges professional associations, and provision of related food and beverages at those events, when attendance does not require “travel,” as described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (e).
    8. The Commission on Judicial Performance shall enforce the prohibitions of this section with regard to judges of the superior courts and justices of the courts of appeal and the Supreme Court. With regard to subordinate judicial officers, consistent with Section 18.1 of Article VI of the California Constitution, the court employing the subordinate judicial officer shall exercise initial jurisdiction to enforce the prohibitions of this section, and the Commission on Judicial Performance shall exercise discretionary jurisdiction with respect to the enforcement of the prohibitions of this section.

Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 170.9.

Gift from Lobbyist or Regulated Entity

§ 86203. Unlawful gifts by lobbyist or lobbying firm

It shall be unlawful for a lobbyist, or lobbying firm, to make gifts to one person aggregating more than ten dollars ($10) in a calendar month, or to act as an agent or intermediary in the making of any gift, or to arrange for the making of any gift by any other person.

Cal. Gov’t Code § 86203.

§ 86204. Receipt of unlawful gift

It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to receive any gift which is made unlawful by Section 86203.

Cal. Gov’t Code § 86204.

Definitions and Exceptions

Please see above sections for statute specific definitions and exceptions.

Notes/Resources

General Rules for Gifts and Honoraria

  • The limit from non-lobbyists is $520 for January 2021-December 2022, which is the inflation-adjusted amount.

State Limitations and Restrictions on Gifts, Honoraria, Travel and Loans: A Fact Sheet

Local Limitations and Restrictions on Gifts, Honoraria, Travel and Loans: A Fact Sheet

Gift of Travel for a Public Purpose Paid for by a 501(c)(3) or Government Entity

Academic Scholarships Awarded to an Official or Immediate Family Member

Learn more about state gift laws