Anti-Corruption and Accountability Ordinance (ACAO)

English

In 2000, the voters of San Francisco passed Proposition J (also known as the Taxpayer Protection Amendment), which sought to eliminate corruption by city officials (appointed and elected) by prohibiting those officials from accepting personal or campaign advantages from persons that had or were about to receive a public benefit from an official. Prop J was subsequently superseded by Proposition E in 2003.

In 2015, at the request of then-Chair Paul Renne, then-Commissioner Peter Keane was tasked with exploring whether provisions of Prop J that had been approved by local voters, and later superseded by Prop E in 2003, could be restored in City law. During the Commission’s meeting on March 27, 2017, then-Chair Keane introduced proposed revisions to San Francisco’s Campaign Finance Reform Ordinance (CFRO) designed to restore Prop J.

In the following months, the Commission held multiple interested persons meetings, produced numerous memos, and engaged in regular discussions at public meetings about this project, which would ultimately become known as the San Francisco Anti-Corruption and Accountability Ordinance (ACAO). The Ordinance created a series of new rules intended to reduce the incidence of corruption and its appearance by prohibiting individuals attempting to secure City contracts or other beneficial governmental outcomes from directing contributions to City officials, candidates, or third parties that are linked to a City official who has authority to approve the contract.

Following a special joint session between the Ethics Commission and the Board of Supervisors, the ACAO was signed into law in May of 2018 (File No. 180280).

Links Related to this Policy Project

Interested Persons Meeting Announcements to Discuss:

Proposition J Revision Project – 5/1/2017
CFRO Revision Project – 5/25/2017
Draft Ordinance Related to CFRO Revision Project – 7/28/2017
Behested Payments Provision in the current Anti-Corruption and Accountability Draft Ordinance – 9/5/2017
Behested Payments Disclosures Related to CFRO Revision Project – 11/3/2017

Staff Reports:

Key Commission Meetings:

March 27^th, 2017: Discussion and possible action on legislative proposal by Commission Chair Keane to restore various contribution related restrictions enacted by Prop. J in November 2000 (Agenda | Meeting Minutes | Summary)
April 24^th 2017: Continued discussion and possible action on Commissioner Keane’s campaign finance and ethics proposal, introduced at the March 27, 2017 meeting. (Agenda | Meeting Minutes | Summary)
May 22^nd, 2017: Continued discussion and possible action on Proposition J Revision Project. (Agenda | Meeting Minutes | Summary)
June 26^nd, 2017: Continued discussion and possible action on Proposition J Revision Project, including various proposals to amend the San Francisco Campaign & Governmental Conduct Code and to incorporate campaign finance proposals introduced by Supervisor Mark Farrell (BOS File No. 161196) and Supervisor Aaron Peskin (BOS File No. 170029). (Agenda | Meeting Minutes | Summary)
August 28^th, 2017: Discussion and possible action on Staff recommendation to adopt the 2017 San Francisco Anti-Corruption and Accountability Ordinance that builds on the initial Proposition J Revision proposal and amends City campaign and government conduct laws (SF Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code Articles I and III). (Agenda | Meeting Minutes | Summary)
September 25^th, 2017: Continued discussion and possible action on proposed 2017 San Francisco Anti-Corruption and Accountability Ordinance that builds on the initial Proposition J Revision proposal and amends City campaign and government conduct laws (SF Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code Articles I and III). (Agenda | Meeting Minutes | Summary)
October 23^rd, 2017: Continued discussion and possible action on revised proposed 2017 San Francisco Anti-Corruption and Accountability Ordinance that builds on the initial Proposition J Revision proposal and amends City campaign and government conduct laws (SF Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code Articles I and III). (Agenda | Meeting Minutes | Summary)
November 27^th, 2017: Discussion and possible action on revised version of the 2017 San Francisco Anti-Corruption and Accountability Ordinance following Commission’s actions at its October regular meeting. (Agenda | Meeting Minutes | Summary)
February 16^th, 2018: Discussion and possible action on proposed Anti-Corruption and Accountability Ordinance (“ACAO”). (Agenda | Meeting Minutes | Summary)
April 3^rd, 2018 – Special Joint Meeting of Ethics Commission and Board of Supervisors: Consideration and possible action on the Anti-Corruption and Accountability Ordinance, amending the Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code to institute campaign finance and conflict of interest reforms (see Board of Supervisors File Nos. 180001 and 180280); scheduled pursuant to Board of Supervisors Motion No. M18-029 (approved on March 6, 2018). (Agenda | Meeting Minutes | Summary)
April 18^th, 2018: Consideration and possible action on Anti-Corruption and Accountability Ordinance, as amended on April 3, 2018 at the Ethics Commission Special Joint Meeting with the Board of Supervisors, to amend the Campaign and Governmental Conduct Code to institute campaign finance and conflict of interest reforms (see Board of Supervisors File No. 180280). (Agenda | Meeting Minutes | Summary)

Legislation:

File No. 180280: Anti-Corruption and Accountability Ordinance – Status: Passed