The California DISCLOSE Act, which would require that political ads carry prominent disclosures of their major funding sources, has been reintroduced as Assembly Bill 1648.

Its previous incarnation, AB 1148 fell short of the two-thirds majority necessary to put it on the ballot. Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica), who was the principal author of that bill, is now bringing AB 1648.

According to California Clean Money Campaign, a pro-DISCLOSE Act citizens' group, AB 1648 is stronger than AB 1148.

AB 1648 is a bipartisan measure, with Nathan Fletcher (R-San Diego)  as a co-author. While AB 1148 required campaign web sites to list their top five funders, AB 1648 doubles that number.

Here's a summary of what AB 1648 would do:

• Requires the three largest funders of political ads to be clearly identified with their names and logos - on the ads themselves, so voters know who is actually paying for them.
• Applies to all television ads, radio ads, print ads, mass mailers, and websites for or against state and local ballot measures, and to independent expenditures for and against candidates. It applies whether ads are paid for by corporations, unions, or millionaires.
• Requires the top ten funders to be listed on the home page of ballot measure and independent expenditure committee websites.
• Requires state and local candidates to take responsibility for their own television and radio ads by appearing on the ad to "approve this message", like federal candidates have to.