News & Updates for the previous solution can be found on the CARS Project Pre 2022 Archive page.
News & Updates
- February 14, 2024: The CAL-ACCESS Replacement System (CARS) Project solicitation activities are in progress. Please direct any questions about the status of the project or Request for Proposal to Robert DeLeonardis at robert.deleonardis@state.ca.gov.
- October 2, 2023: The CAL-ACCESS Replacement System (CARS) Request for Proposal (RFP) has been released and can be found here: https://caleprocure.ca.gov/event/0890/0000028861
- July 5, 2023: Details for the July Stakeholder meeting are in the July 5, 2023 CARS Project Update for External Stakeholders PowerPoint.
- June 7, 2023: Details for the June Stakeholder meeting are in the June 7, 2023 CARS Project Update for External Stakeholders PowerPoint.
- May 3, 2023: Details for the May Stakeholder meeting are in the May 3, 2023 CARS Project Update for External Stakeholders PowerPoint.
- April 5, 2023: Details for the April Stakeholder meeting are in the April 5, 2023 CARS Project Update for External Stakeholders PowerPoint.
- March 1, 2023: Details for the March Stakeholder meeting are in the March 1, 2023 CARS Project Update for External Stakeholders PowerPoint.
- February 1, 2023: Details for the February Stakeholder meeting are in the February 1, 2023 CARS Project Update for External Stakeholders PowerPoint.
- January 4, 2023: Details for the January Stakeholder meeting are in the January 4, 2023 CARS Project Update for External Stakeholders PowerPoint.
- January 4, 2023: The CARS Project Team hosted a CAL-ACCESS Replacement System Request for Information (RFI) Vendor Day to provide an overview of CARS and the RFI document. Details regarding this meeting can be found in the January 4, 2023 CARS Request for Information PowerPoint.
- December 16, 2022: We've released the Request for Information for the CARS Project: You are invited to respond to this Request for Information (RFI) titled “California Automated Lobbyist and Campaign Contribution and Expenditure Search System (CAL-ACCESS) Replacement System (CARS) Project.” The California Secretary of State (SOS) is seeking information from the vendor community via this RFI about existing technologies available for replacing its legacy campaign, lobbying registration, contributions and activities reporting solution.
- December 7, 2022: Details for the December Stakeholder meeting are in the December 7, 2022 CARS Project Update for External Stakeholders PowerPoint.
- November 28, 2022: The CARS Project Team has scheduled a meeting with the Data Consumers Stakeholder Working Group on November 30, 2022. Details regarding this meeting can be found in the meeting invitation.
- November 28, 2022: The CARS Project Team has scheduled a meeting with the Data Filers Stakeholder Working Group on December 2, 2022. Details regarding this meeting can be found in the meeting invitation.
- November 28, 2022: The CARS Project Team has scheduled a meeting with the Software Vendors/Service Providers Stakeholder Working Group on December 2, 2022. Details regarding this meeting can be found in the meeting invitation.
- November 2, 2022: Details for the November Stakeholder meeting are in the November 2, 2022 CARS Project Update for External Stakeholders PowerPoint.
- October 5, 2022: The CARS Project Team has scheduled monthly project update meetings with stakeholders beginning October 5, 2022. Details regarding this meeting can be found in the October 5, 2022 CARS Project Update for External Stakeholders PowerPoint.
- October 3, 2022: The CARS Project Team has scheduled monthly project update meetings with stakeholders beginning October 5, 2022. Details regarding this meeting series can be found in the meeting invitation.
- August 22, 2022: The CARS Project Team hosted a CAL-ACCESS Replacement System Update for External Stakeholders to provide an update on project activities. Details regarding this meeting can be found in the August 22, 2022 CARS Project Update for External Stakeholders PowerPoint.
- March 22, 2022: In July 2021, the Secretary of State's office partnered with the California Department of Technology to conduct an independent assessment of the CAL-ACCESS Replacement System (CARS). The purpose of the assessment was to determine the readiness of CARS to launch and whether it would meet the expectations of the public, stakeholders, and the regulated community. The independent assessment report indicated CARS was not ready for a system launch. After reviewing the report findings, the Secretary of State decided to evaluate the independent assessment report recommendations and begin the planning process for a CARS project restart. Knowing the complexity of the system and the need for a thorough project planning process, the project will not launch during 2022. A project timeline has not been established. The independent assessment report is located here: https://www.sos.ca.gov/administration/agency-reports/cal-access-replacement-project-cars-agency-reports. Additional information will be posted when it becomes available.
- March 15, 2022: The CARS Project Team hosted a CAL-ACCESS Replacement System Update for External Stakeholders to communicate a summary of the independent assessment report findings and the next steps for the CARS Project. Details regarding this meeting can be found in the March 15, 2022 CARS Project Update for External Stakeholders PowerPoint.
- June 11, 2021: California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. issued the following statement on the status of the Cal-Access Replacement System (CARS): “To ensure that the CARS project can fully meet its statutory obligations, the scheduled June 30, 2021 roll out of the project will be postponed,” Weber said. “Moving forward, the Secretary of State's office will assess the project's state of readiness so that on the date it goes live it will meet the expectations of the public, stakeholders and the regulated community.
