Political Reform
Elections
Redistricting
Note: * Denotes Urgency or Tax Levy Legislation.
Political Reform
SB 18 (Blakeslee-R) Political Reform Act: gifts
Prohibits a lobbyist, lobbying firm, or lobbyist employer from giving to an elected state official, and an elected state official from receiving from a lobbyist, lobbying firm, or lobbying employer, specified gifts, regardless of the value of the gift.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)
SB 19 (Blakeslee-R) Political Reform Act: automated campaign telephone calls
Makes it unlawful for any person to make an automated campaign telephone call, as defined, to any person who has elected to have his/her name and telephone number placed on the California Political Robocall Do Not Call List. Requires the Secretary of State to establish, manage, and maintain this list.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)
SB 31 (Correa-D) Political Reform: post-government employment
Extends the "revolving door" prohibition (post-government restrictions) Political Reform Act to include officials who are appointed to local boards or commissions.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
SB 46* (Correa-D) Political Reform Act: public officials compensation
Requires every designated employee and other person, except a candidate for public office, who is required to file a statement of economic interests to include, as a part of that filing, a compensation disclosure form that provides compensation information for the preceding calendar year, as specified. Requires each agency to post on that agency's Internet Web site the information contained on the compensation disclosure form filed by a person required to file a statement of economic interests or a designated employee, and the written policy for the reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses.
(Died at the Assembly Desk)
SB 488 (Correa-D) Political reform: slate mailers
Requires a slate mailer that represents the position of a public safety organization to include specified information about the organization's membership. Prohibits the use of a logo of a governmental organization or of specified non-governmental organizations in a slate mailer without the written consent of the organization.
Chapter 865, Statutes of 2012
SB 1001 (Yee-D) Political Reform Act of 1974: lobbyists
Increases the filing fee for lobbyists from the existing fee of up to $25 per year to a fee of $50 per year, and also requires political committees (recipient candidate, general purpose, ballot measure committees, etc.) that receive contributions totaling $1,000 or more in a calendar year to pay a similar filing fee of $50 per year. Establishes a late filing penalty for committees equal to three times the amount of the fee. Provides that the increase in the lobbyist filing fees and the new committee filing fee will be deposited into the Political Disclosure, Accountability, Transparency, and Access Fund which this bill creates. Specifies that the money will be used for the maintenance, repair, and improvement of the lobbyists' online disclosure system at the Secretary of State's Office.
Chapter 506, Statutes of 2012
SB 1426 (Blakeslee-R) Political reform: lobbyist employers
Prohibits a lobbyist, lobbying firm, or lobbyist employer from giving to an elected state officer or a member of that officer's immediate family, and would prohibit an elected state officer from accepting from a lobbyist, lobbying firm, or lobbyist employer, certain gifts, including spa treatments, recreational trips, and gift cards. These prohibitions would not apply to a fundraising event for a bona fide charitable organization. Prohibits a lobbyist employer from giving to an elected state officer, or a lobbyist, lobbying firm, or lobbyist employer from giving to a member of that officer's immediate family, specified entertainment tickets with face values exceeding $25, including theater, concert, and amateur sporting event tickets.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
SB 1553 (Lowenthal-D) Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign statements
Establishes a pilot project whereby the city of Long Beach may permit the electronic filing of campaign disclosure statements.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
AB 41* (Hill-D) Political Reform Act: High-Speed Rail Authority
Requires a member of the High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) who has a financial interest in a decision before the HSRA to publicly identify the financial interest that gives rise to the conflict of interest, to recuse himself/herself from discussing or voting on the matter, and to leave the room until after disposition of the matter is concluded. Expands the information that a member of the HSRA must disclose on a statement of economic interests. Requires HSRA board members to report ex parte communications in certain circumstances.
Chapter 626, Statutes of 2012
AB 71 (Huber-D) Political Reform Act: lobbyists disclosure
Requires the Secretary of State to create a report each calendar quarter that identifies the bills that were lobbied during the prior calendar quarter and the lobbyist employers who lobbied on each of those bills.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)
AB 148 (Smyth-R) Political reform: local government officials
Requires a local agency to post the ethics training records of those members of the local agency who are elected on the local agency's Internet Web site, if any, and to submit a copy to the State Controller within 90 days of receiving the records.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
AB 447 (Huffman-D) Political Reform Act: disclosure filing
Establishes a framework for the development of a statewide electronic campaign disclosure filing system, as specified.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
AB 481 (Gordon-D) Political Reform Act of 1974
Makes numerous changes to laws governing the reporting of independent campaign expenditures and identifying an independent expenditure committee's principal officer for liability purposes.
Chapter 496, Statutes of 2012
AB 785 (Mendoza-D) Political reform: public officials actions
Prohibits a state or local elected or appointed official from making, participating in making, or using their position to influence a governmental action of an immediate family member of the public official has a financial interest in the decision.
(Died in Assembly Local Government Committee)
AB 860 (Jones-R) Political reform: contributions
Prohibits payroll deductions from being made if the money deducted will be used for political purposes. Prohibits corporations, labor unions, and government contractors from making campaign contributions in certain circumstances.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)
AB 1146 (Norby-R) Political reform: contribution limits
Repeals all limits on the amount of money that a person or a small contributor committee can contribute to a candidate for elective state office. Repeals all limits on the amount of money that a person can contribute to a committee for the purpose of making contributions to candidates for elective state office. Requires campaigns to disclose all campaign contributions and expenditures of $100 or more within 24 hours.
(Died in Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
A similar bill was AB 2239 (Norby-R) which died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee.
AB 1148 (Brownley-D) Political reform: advertisements disclosure
Requires that a candidate or ballot measure appearing in a slate mailer be designated by an asterisk if the slate mailer organization or committee primarily formed to support or oppose one or more ballot measures that is sending the slate mailer has received payment to include the candidate or ballot measure in the slate mailer. Places certain disclosure requirements on radio or television advertisements authorized by a candidate or the candidate's agents that expressly advocate the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or that solicit any contribution for the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate, as specified.
(Failed passage on the Assembly Floor)
AB 1241 (Norby-R) Political reform: contributions
Exempts officials who are elected to local and state agencies from provisions of state law limiting contributions to those officials from entities with business before the agency involving a license, permit, or other entitlement for use.
(Died on Senate Third Reading File)
AB 1509 (Hayashi-D) Political Reform Act of 1974: local elected officials
Requires the Internet posting of local elected officials required to file statements of economic interest.
Chapter 498, Statutes of 2012
AB 1648 (Brownley-D) Political Reform Act of 1974: disclosures
Makes significant changes to required disclosures on campaign advertisements and slate mailers. Requires disclosure of top funding sources directly on all mediums of political advertisement and requires campaign committees to maintain a website with a list of its largest funders.
(Died in Senate Rules Committee)
AB 1881 (Donnelly-R) Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign statements
Increases the threshold from $100 to $5,000, at which the names and addresses must be publicly reported for campaign donors who contributed to committees that are not candidate controlled committees.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)
AB 2062* (Davis-D) Political reform: economic interest statements
Allows an agency to permit the electronic filing of a statement of economic interests, including amendments, in accordance with regulations adopted by the Fair Political Practices Commission.
Chapter 500, Statutes of 2012
AB 2146 (Cook-R) Political Reform Act of 1974: San Bernardino County
Authorizes the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) to assume primary responsibility for administration and enforcement, as specified, of San Bernardino County's campaign finance ordinance, and authorizes the FPPC and the County to enter into any mutual agreements necessary to implement, including provisions regarding County reimbursement of FPPC's costs.
Chapter 169, Statutes of 2012
AB 2162 (Portantino-D) Political Reform Act of 1974: economic interest disclosure
Amends the Political Reform Act by adjusting the dollar increments for investments and income that are to be used by public officials in filing a Statement of Economic Interest.
Vetoed
AB 2191 (Norby-R) Political Reform Act of 1974: county central committees
Provides that candidates for political party central committees who receive contributions and make expenditures of less than $1,000 in a calendar year are not required to file campaign disclosure reports.
Chapter 502, Statutes of 2012
AB 2239 (Norby-R) Political reform: contribution limits
Repeals all limits on the amount of money that a person or a small contributor committee can contribute to a candidate for elective state office. Repeals all limits on the amount of money that a person can contribute to a committee for the purpose of making contributions to candidates for elective state office. Requires campaigns to disclose all campaign contributions of $100 or more within 24 hours.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)
A similar bill was AB 1146 (Norby-R) which died in Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee.
AB 2452 (Ammiano-D) Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign disclosure
Permits local government agencies to require elected officials, candidates, and campaign committees to file campaign disclosure reports online or electronically.
Chapter 126, Statutes of 2012
AB 2691 (Assembly Elections And Redistricting Committee) Political Reform Act of 1974
Repeals obsolete provisions of the Political Reform Act of 1974 related to the online or electronic disclosure of campaign and lobbying information.
Chapter 503, Statutes of 2012
AJR 22 (Wieckowski-D) Campaign finance reform
States the Legislature's disagreement with the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, and calls upon the United States Congress to propose and send to the states for ratification a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and to restore constitutional rights and fair elections to the people.
Resolution Chapter 69, Statutes of 2012
Elections
SB 35 (Padilla-D) Voter registration agencies
Adds the California Health Benefit Exchange to the list of public assistance agencies required by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to provide voter registration opportunities and codifies various other provisions of the Act.
Chapter 505, Statutes of 2012
SB 106* (Blakeslee-R) Special elections
Provides that expenses authorized and necessarily incurred on or after 1/1/09, and before 4/19/11, for elections proclaimed by the Governor to fill a vacancy in the office of a Senator or Member of the Assembly, or to fill a vacancy in the office of United States Senator or Member of the United States House of Representatives, shall be paid by the state.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)
A similar bill is SB 141 (Price-D) which died in Senate Appropriations Committee.
SB 109* (Gaines-R) Vote by mail: special elections
Authorizes a small county with a population of 400,000 or less to conduct a special election to fill a vacancy in a legislative body or governing body, or any special election called by the Governor, wholly by all-mail ballot, subject to the same conditions currently imposed on small cities and other eligible entities.
(Died in Senate Election and Constitutional Committee)
SB 141 (Price-D) Elections: payment of expenses
Provides that expenses authorized and necessarily incurred for elections proclaimed by the Governor to fill a vacancy in the office of State Senator or Assembly Member, or to fill a vacancy in the office of United States Senator or Representative in the Congress, are to be paid by the state. When an election proclaimed by the Governor is consolidated with a local election, provides that the state shall pay only those additional expenses directly related to the election proclaimed by the Governor.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)
A similar bill is SB 106 (Blakeslee-R) which died in Senate Appropriations Committee.
SB 304 (Kehoe-D) All-mailed ballot elections: San Diego
Allows elections in San Diego County to be conducted wholly by mail until 1/1/16, if specified conditions are satisfied. If San Diego County conducts an all-mailed ballot election, requires the county, on or before 12/31/16, to report to the Legislature and to the Secretary of State regarding the success of the election, as specified.
(Died in Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SB 348 (Correa-D) Elections: vote by mail ballots
Provides that all vote-by-mail ballots, including special absentee voter ballots, will be counted if they are postmarked on a before elections day and received by the voters election officials no later than six days after election day.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)
SB 641 (Calderon-D) Voter registration
Allows a person to register to vote and to vote at the office of a county elections official any time between 14 days before election day and up to and including election day, if certain requirements are met.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
SB 802 (Runner-R) Elections: voting
Requires that the identification envelope for returning a vote by mail ballot include the last four digits of the voter's California driver's license or identification card number or, if unavailable, the last four digits of the voter's social security number and a security flap to conceal the voter's information during mailing. Requires the elections official to verify the accuracy of that information before counting the vote. Requires that a vote by mail ballot of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is stationed outside of the U.S. be cast by election day and received by elections officials no later than 21 days after election day. Requires a person who desires to vote to show specified proof of identity. Allows a person who does not have proof of identity to vote a provisional ballot after completing an affidavit under penalty of perjury that he/she is a registered voter. Requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to waive the fee for an identification card requested for satisfying the voter identification requirement.
(Died in Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SB 908 (Runner-R) Elections: ballots: electronic mail
Permits a special absentee voter who is temporarily living outside of the territorial limits of the United States or the District of Columbia, or is called for military services within the United States on or after the final date to make application for a vote by absent voter ballot, to return his/her ballot by electronic mail, as prescribed. Requires the ballot to be accompanied by a copy of an identification envelope and an oath of voter declaration in substantially the form described with respect to facsimile transmission of ballots. Requires the elections official to determine the voter's eligibility to vote by comparing the signature on the scanned copy of the identification envelope with the signature on the voter's affidavit of registration.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)
SB 1188 (Senate Elections And Constitutional Amendments Committee) Elections
Deletes the requirement that a middle name or initial also be provided by the circulator in order for a petition to be valid and corrects two obsolete Elections Code references contained in the Water Code related to all-mailed ballot elections.
Chapter 132, Statutes of 2012
SB 1233 (Padilla-D) Initiatives and referendums
Requires the Attorney General, if a proposed initiative or referendum petition is circulated in a county covered by the federal minority language laws, to translate the title and summary of the proposed initiative or referendum, as applicable, into the applicable languages covered in that county. Requires the Secretary of State, if a recall petition of a state officer is circulated in a county covered by the federal minority language laws, to translate the petition into the applicable languages in that county.
Vetoed
SB 1272 (Kehoe-D) Political parties: county central committees
Provides for county central committees to be held every four years instead of every two years, and makes other party specific changes.
Chapter 507, Statutes of 2012
SB 1275 (Lieu-D) Special elections: vacancies in office
Requires that a special general election to fill a vacancy occurs at least 126 days, but not more than 140 days, after the issuance of the election proclamation. Requires that a special primary election to fill a vacancy be conducted on a Tuesday either nine or 10 weeks prior to the date of the special general election, as specified. Revises the deadlines relating to the filing of nomination papers for a candidate in a special primary election. Requires that an application for a vote by mail ballot in a special election be made in the same manner as for a regular election.
Chapter 685, Statutes of 2012
SB 1296 (Fuller-R) Elections: ballot materials
Transfer statutorily the duty of preparing titles and summaries for a proposed initiative on referendum measures from the Attorney General to the Legislative Analyst.
(Failed passage in the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SB 1346* (Negrete McLeod-D) Election day procedures
Allows the county elections official for a county of greater than 5,000 square miles to direct that ballot containers be sealed prior to the closing of the polls in accordance with specified procedures and direct two members of the precinct board to remove from a polling place and the presence of any bystanders prior to the closing of the polls, one time during specified hours on election day, a sealed ballot container of voted untallied ballots and deliver without delay the container, unopened, to the county elections official or to a receiving station designated by the county elections official. Requires the county elections official to identify, not less than 30 days prior to an election, each precinct or polling place from which sealed ballot containers will be removed prior to the closing of the polls and would prohibit the elections official from directing that ballot containers be removed from more than 3% of the precincts in the jurisdiction prior to the closing of the polls. Allows the county elections official to process the ballots upon receipt of a container, but prohibits the official from tallying the ballots or releasing any results prior to the closing of the polls.
(Died in Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SCA 4 (DeSaulnier-D) Initiative measures: funding source
Prohibits an initiative measure that would result in a net increase in state or local government costs other than costs attributable to the issuance, sale, or repayment of bonds, from being submitted to the electors or having any effect unless and until the Legislative Analyst and the Director of the Department of Finance jointly determine that the initiative measure provides for additional revenues in an amount that meets or exceeds the net increase in costs.
(Died on Senate Third Reading File)
SCA 9 (Hancock-D) Initiatives revision
Applies the provisions that authorize direct amendment or repeal by the Legislature as permitted by an initiative statute only to initiative statutes approved by the voters on or before its effective date. As to an initiative statute that is approved by the voters after that effective date, authorizes the Legislature to directly amend or repeal the initiative statute not sooner than three years after the date the initiative statute is approved by the voters, unless the initiative statute allows that action by the Legislature at an earlier date. Requires that a direct amendment or repeal of an initiative statute by the Legislature pursuant to this authority be passed by a percentage of the membership of each house that exceeds the percentage of voters who approved the initiative statute or, if applicable, that approved the most recent amendment of the initiative statute.
(Died in Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SCA 16 (Wyland-R) Initiatives revision
Revises the procedure for proposing an initiative measure. Requires the text of the proposed initiative measure to be submitted to the Attorney General. Requires the Attorney General to prepare a circulating title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure, and provides a copy thereof to the Secretary of State (SOS). Requires the SOS to immediately notify the proponents of the initiative measure of the date upon which the SOS received a copy of the circulating title and summary. Allows the proponents two years from the date the SOS received a copy of the circulating title and summary to present to the SOS a petition that sets forth the text of the proposed measure and is signed by the required number of electors.
(Died in Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SCA 19 (Fuller-R) Elections: ballot measures
Requires that an initiative or referendum petition be submitted to the Legislative Analyst instead of the Attorney General, and transfers from the Attorney General to the Legislative Analyst the duty of preparing the title and summary for an initiative or referendum that is to be circulated. Requires for each measure that appears on a statewide ballot, that the Legislative Analyst prepare the ballot label, and the ballot title and summary for the ballot pamphlet.
(Failed passage in Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
SCR 58 (La Malfa-R) California's initiative history
Commemorates the 100-year anniversary of California's initiative process.
(Died in Senate Rules Committee)
SCR 81 (Yee-D) Voter Registration Day
Proclaims 9/25/12 as Voter Registration Day and encourages all eligible Californians to register to vote by that date.
Resolution Chapter 90, Statutes of 2012
SJR 29 (Yee-D) Voting: disenfranchisement
Proclaims the Legislature's support for the investigation by the federal Department of Justice into whether state legislatures are discriminating against and suppressing the vote of minorities, senior citizens, young adults, or those with physical disabilities or limited economic means. Denounces any law that disenfranchises society's most disadvantaged eligible voters. Findings indicate that following the 2008 election, 30 state legislatures introduced voter suppression laws that could have the effect of disenfranchising an estimated five million voters from registering to vote or casting a ballot in 2012. (Because of the concern over voter fraud, 16 states have enacted voter suppression laws that require state-issued identification, restrict voter registration drives, or limit early voting by either mail or in person.) Proclaims the State of California's support of the United States Department of Justice's investigation on whether these state legislatures use discriminating against and suppressing votes of minorities, senior citizens, young adults, or those with physical disabilities or limited economic means (groups which could be most likely affected by these laws).
Resolution Chapter 125, Statutes of 2012
A similar resolution was SR 38 (Yee-D) which died on the Senate Inactive File.
SR 38 (Yee-D) Voting rights
Places the Senate on record supporting the investigation by the federal Department of Justice into whether state legislatures are discriminating against and suppressing the vote of minorities, senior citizens, young adults, or those with physical disabilities or limited economic means; and denounces any law that disenfranchises society's most disadvantaged eligible voters.
(Died on Senate Inactive File)
A similar resolution is SJR 29 (Yee-D), Resolution Chapter 125, Statutes of 2012.
AB 145 (Pan-D) Voter registration: paid registration activities
Prohibits any person, company, or other organization from agreeing to pay money or other valuable consideration on a per-affidavit basis to any person who assists another person to register to vote by receiving the completed affidavit of registration, prohibits the receipt of this per-affidavit consideration, and makes conforming changes.
Vetoed
A similar bill was AB 2058 (Pan-D) which died in Senate Public Safety Committee.
AB 216 (Swanson-D) Voter registration
Permits county elections officials to use change-of-address information from consumer credit reporting agencies, instead of using change-of-address information from the United States Postal Service, for the purpose of updating and maintaining the accuracy of voter registration lists.
Chapter 495, Statutes of 2012
AB 218 (Wieckowski-D) Special election: estate and sales tax
Calls for a special election to (1) repeal the initiative measure that prohibits the imposition of the estate tax, and (2) enact a partial sales and use tax exemption for purchases of qualified tangible personal property by persons engaged in manufacturing and software production, as specified.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
AB 299 (Eng-D) Voting rights: language assistance
Makes various changes to the law concerning recruitment of election officials who are fluent in a language used by citizens who lack sufficient skill in English to vote without assistance.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)
A similar bill was AB 1814 (Eng-D) which died in Senate Appropriations Committee.
AB 346 (Atkins-D) Polling places: higher education campuses
Requires county elections officials to establish at least one polling place for each state election on a campus of a community college, the California State University (CSU), or the University of California (UC) within their respective counties. Exempts from these requirements counties with a population under 150,000 and counties that do not have a CSU, UC, or community college campus within its jurisdiction.
(Died in Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 435 (Wagner-R) Elections: nonpartisan office
Places specific restrictions on the contents of a candidate's statement for a candidate for a nonpartisan elective office in any local agency, and requires additional information be included in a county's voter's pamphlet regarding candidates' statements.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)
AB 477 (Valadao-R) Elections: vote by mail ballots
Provides that special absentee voter ballots will be counted if they are postmarked on or before elections day and received by the voter's elections official no later than 10 days after election day.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)
AB 562* (Fong-D) Elections: vote by mail
Allows vote by mail ballots to be counted if they are cast by election day and received by the elections official no later than three days after the election.
(Failed passage on Assembly Unfinished Business File)
AB 867 (Swanson-D) Elections: voting: residency confirmation
Permits a county elections official, in lieu of mailing a residency confirmation postcard, to contract with a consumer credit reporting agency or its licensees to obtain change-of-address data.
(Failed passage in Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1200* (Ma-D) Elections: county central committees
Makes various changes to the method of electing central committees in response to the impacts of the new top two primary process and recent redistricting.
Chapter 8, Statutes of 2012
AB 1201 (Fong-D) Voter registration
Provides that a voter's registration, forwarded to the county elections official of the county in which the elector resides by a county elections official from a different county, is effective for all elections occurring 15 or more days, instead of 29 or more days, after receipt of the affidavit of registration by the county elections official.
(Died in Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee)
AB 1252 (Davis-D) Elections: Los Angeles Community College District
Establishes a separate procedure for the election of the trustees of the Los Angeles Community College District. Specifies that a candidate for election must reside in, and be registered to vote in, the trustee area he/she seeks to represent, as specified. Requires the governing board of each trustee area to set the boundaries of each trustee area before 3/1/12, to reflect the population enumerated in the federal 2010 decennial census. Provides that if the governing board fails to timely set the boundaries, then the county committee on school district organization shall do so before 4/30/12.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)
A similar bill is AB 2572 (Furutani-D), Chapter 754, Statutes of 2012.
AB 1365 (Nielsen-R) Voter registration: information sharing
Requires a state agency, upon the request of the Secretary of State (SOS), to share with the SOS information the agency is required to generate that will assist the SOS in maintaining accurate lists of registered voters.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)
AB 1413* (Fong-D) Elections
Amends provisions of SB 6 (Maldonado-R), Chapter 1, Statutes of 2009, which implemented the top two primary system by (1) providing flexibility to counties in the placement on the ballot of the party affiliation of presidential candidates, (2) eliminating certain type-size and typeface requirements for instructions that must be printed on the ballot, and (3) clarifying and shortening the instructions that appear on the ballot. Provides that space for write-in candidates will not be printed on the ballot for voter-nominated offices at the general election and makes changes in the law concerning the death of a candidate.
Chapter 3, Statutes of 2012
AB 1422* (Perea-D) Elections: Water Bond postponement
Moves the Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act, which would provide $11.14 billion in general obligation bonds (Water Bond), from the November 2012 general election to the November 2014 general election.
Chapter 74, Statutes of 2012
AB 1436 (Feuer-D) Voter registration
Establishes conditional voter registration, using an affidavit of registration, whereby a person would be permitted to register to vote after the 15th day prior to an election or on election day, and cast a provisional ballot to be counted if the conditional voter registration is deemed effective. Provides that a conditional voter registration shall be deemed effective if the county elections official is able to determine before or during the canvass period for the election that the registrant is eligible to register to vote and that the registrant has provided information that matches specified state or federal databases. Provides that if the information provided by the registrant cannot be verified by matching the information to those specified state or federal databases and the registrant is otherwise eligible to vote, the registrant shall be issued a unique identification number pursuant to the above-referenced provisions and the conditional voter registration shall be deemed effective. Establishes specific criminal and civil penalties for the commission of fraud in the execution of a conditional voter registration pursuant to these provisions. Requires the county elections official to offer conditional voter registration and provisional voting at its permanent offices, and would permit the official to offer this registration and voting at satellite offices on election day, in accordance with specified procedures. Requires the county elections official to cancel, as specified, duplicate voter registrations that may arise due to conditional voter registration. Becomes operative on January 1 of the year following the year in which the Secretary of State certifies that the state has a statewide voter registration database that complies with the requirements of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002. Increases the fine that may be imposed for a felony conviction of an election crime, for which no other penalty is prescribed by law, form $10,000 to $25,000.
Chapter 497, Statutes of 2012
AB 1477 (Assembly Budget Committee) Vote-by-mail ballots: Budget Trailer Bill
Amends the 2012-13 Budget Act, adopted on 6/15/12 in AB 1464, which, among other provisions, provides the Department of Finance with $5 million to reimburse County Registrars for costs related to changes in law requiring registrars to count absentee ballots postmarked on or before the date of an election. This was being done due to the closure of several postal distribution centers. The receipt of vote-by-mail ballots may be negatively impacted. This provision was item-vetoed by the Governor.
Chapter 630, Statutes of 2012 -- Item Veto
AB 1499 (Assembly Budget Committee) Elections: ballot order for statewide measures
Requires that bond measures and constitutional amendments, including those proposed by initiative, appear on the ballot before all other legislative, initiative, and referendum measures.
Chapter 30, Statutes of 2012
AB 1626 (Yamada-D) Election materials
Authorizes election officials to seek a writ of mandate or injunction to amend or delete elections materials for district and school district elections.
Chapter 191, Statutes of 2012
AB 1716 (Garrick-R) Elections: voter identification
Requires that the identification envelope include the last four digits of the voter's California driver's license number or California identification card number or, if the voter does not possess either of those types of identification, the last four digits of the voter's social security number, and requires that the voter's signature and numeric identifying information be verified as being consistent with the voter's state or federal records prior to the voter's ballot being counted. Requires that the identification envelope have a security flap or sleeve to conceal the voter's signature and identifying information during mailing. Requires a person desiring to vote at a polling place to produce and show proof of identification, as defined, to the precinct worker at the polling place. Provides for a voter to cast a provisional ballot if the voter declines to provide, or is otherwise unable to provide, sufficient proof of identification. Provides exemptions from the requirement to provide proof of identification for voters residing in state-licensed care facilities that are used as polling places and voters who establish a religious objection to being photographed. Provides that, for purposes of complying with the proof of identification requirement, a registered voter could obtain a state-issued identification card from the Department of Motor Vehicles at no cost.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)
AB 1724 (Fong-D) Elections: voting
Resolves a conflict in existing law that governs the amount of time that a voter can spend in the voting booth, and permits a voter to receive additional time to mark his/her ballot when necessary.
Chapter 238, Statutes of 2012
AB 1805 (Huffman-D) Military and overseas voters
Establishes new voting procedures for military and overseas voters, as defined, to comply with the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and implement the policies of that act and the Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act adopted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State laws.
Chapter 744, Statutes of 2012
AB 1814 (Eng-D) Bilingual voting assistance
Requires county elections officials to report to the Secretary of State on their compliance with various state and federal laws related to providing voters with language assistance.
(Died in Senate Appropriations Committee)
A similar bill was AB 299 (Eng-D) which died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee.
AB 1851 (Allen-D) Local initiative petitions
Requires county elections officials to allow for public access to the county, municipal, or district initiative measure materials filed with the elections offices, as specified.
Chapter 240, Statutes of 2012
AB 1929* (Gorell-R) Elections: casting ballots
Establishes processes and procedures for the review and approval of ballot marking systems, as defined, for use in California elections.
Chapter 694, Statutes of 2012
AB 1979 (Roger Hernández-D) Local elections: West Covina
Requires that a district-method of election be imposed for the election of members of the City Council of the City of West Covina.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)
AB 2054 (Fong-D) Elections: vote by mail ballots
Deletes a requirement that a voter must be ill or disabled in order to have a family member or person in the same household return a vote by mail ballot for that voter.
Vetoed
AB 2058 (Pan-D) Voter registration
Makes it a misdemeanor to either pay or to receive payment on a per affidavit basis to assist another person to register to vote by receiving the completed affidavit of registration.
(Died in Senate Public Safety Committee)
AB 2080 (Gordon-D) Elections: vote by mail ballots
Deletes a requirement that a voter must be ill or disabled in order to have a family member or person in the same household return a vote by mail ballot for that voter.
Chapter 501, Statutes of 2012
AB 2220 (Gatto-D) Elections: statewide ballot pamphlet
Requires a specified disclaimer to be included in the summary statement prepared by the Legislative Analyst for a proposed initiative measure that provides new revenues for new or existing programs, as specified.
Vetoed
AB 2410 (Fuentes-D) Elective office: felony convictions
Prohibits a person from running for elected office in that person has been convicted of a felony involving certain factors in the last 20 years, as specified.
Chapter 160, Statutes of 2012
AB 2479 (Donnelly-R) Voter registration: proof of citizenship
Requires a person to provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.
(Failed passage in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)
AB 2572 (Furutani-D) Elections: Los Angeles Community College District
Authorizes, commencing with the 2013 election, the governing board of the Los Angeles Community College District to adopt a resolution by majority vote to enact an alternative method by which members of the governing board may be elected at large and by individual seat number, as specified.
Chapter 754, Statutes of 2012
A similar bill was AB 1252 (Davis-D) which died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee.
AB 2692 (Assembly Elections And Redistricting Committee) Precinct boundaries
Removes references to census tracts in the process of creating precincts and reporting election data.
Chapter 504, Statutes of 2012
ACA 5 (Portantino-D) Initiatives: state finance reform
Prohibits an initiative measure from being submitted to the electors or from having any effect if the initiative measure appropriates state funds for any purpose in an amount exceeding the amount appropriated for that purpose for the 2004-05 fiscal year by more than $250,000 unless the measure provides for additional state revenue or offsetting savings in a total amount that is not less than the amount of the appropriation.
(Died in Assembly Budget Committee)
ACA 6 (Gatto-D) Initiative measures: funding source
Prohibits an initiative measure which results in an increase in state or local government costs exceeding $5 million from being submitted to the electors or from having any effect, as specified.
(Failed passage on the Assembly Floor)
ACA 7 (Feuer-D) Initiative measures: funding source
Prohibits an initiative measure that would result in a net increase in state or local government costs other than costs attributable to the issuance, sale, or repayment of bonds, from being submitted to the electors or having any effect unless and until the Legislative Analyst and the Director of the Department of Finance jointly determine that the initiative measure provides for additional revenues in an amount that meets or exceeds the net increase in costs.
(Died in Assembly Election and Redistricting Committee)
ACA 9 (Gatto-D) Initiative measures: supermajority requirement
Requires that an initiative that will increase the current vote requirement for an action by either the electors or by the Legislature, or would impose an extraordinary vote requirement for the amendment of an initiative statute by the Legislature without approval by the electors, itself receive the same affirmative vote percentage in order to be approved by the electors.
(Died in Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee)
ACA 10 (Gatto-D) Initiatives
Requires signatures on a petition for a proposed initiative measure to amend the state constitution to be geographically distributed among at least 27 State Senate districts, as specified, in order for that initiative to appear on the ballot. Requires an initiative measure that amends the state constitution to receive 55% of the vote in order to be approved, unless the measure repeals a previously adopted constitutional amendment.
(Failed passage on Assembly Floor)
ACA 11 (Gatto-D) Initiatives: constitutional amendments
Requires an initiative measure proposing to amend the State Constitution, except for a measure repealing a previously adopted amendment, to receive minimum 55% vote for approval by the voters. Provides that an initiative measure proposing to repeal a previously adopted constitutional amendment may be approved on a majority vote.
(Died in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
ACA 12 (Gatto-D) Initiatives
Permits the Legislature to propose amendments to an initiative measure prior to that measure appearing on the ballot.
(Died on Assembly Inactive File)
ACA 19 (Allen-D) Initiatives
Establishes an indirect initiative process.
(Died on Assembly Inactive File)
Redistricting
SB 83 (Senate Budget And Fiscal Review Committee) Citizens Redistricting Commission
Appropriates as a supplemental appropriations bill (deficiency bill), $339,000 from the General Fund to the Citizens Redistricting Commission and authorizes additional budget authorizations for the Commission under conditions specified by the bill relating to potential litigation and personnel costs.
Chapter 10, Statutes of 2012
SB 1096 (Senate Elections And Constitutional Amendments Committee) Citizens Redistricting Commission
Makes several substantive and technical changes to provision governing the operations and procedures of the Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC) including (1) moving up the deadline by four and one-half months for each of the steps involved in accepting and reviewing applications from individuals who are interested in serving on the CRC, and in establishing the CRC from the pool of qualified applicants, (2) requiring the State Auditor, rather than the Secretary of State, to provide support functions to the CRC while it is being formed and until the CRC's staff and office are fully functional, (3) providing that the three-person panel that reviews applications for the CRC shall be made up only of auditors employed by the Bureau of State Audits instead of auditors licensed by the California Board of Accountancy and employed by the state, (4) clarifying that the CRC has the authority to fill all vacancies on the CRC, and extending, from 30 to 90 days, the time that the CRC has to fill a vacancy that occurs on or after December 31 of a year ending in the number two, (5) extending, from 10 to 12 days, the amount of time that a bill must be in print prior to final passage by the Legislature if that bill proposes to amend specified provisions of state law that govern the formation and operations of the CRC, and prohibiting the Legislature from amending those provisions in a year ending in the number nine.
Chapter 271, Statutes of 2012
SB 1331 (Kehoe-D) County of San Diego Redistricting Commission
Establishes a redistricting commission in San Diego to adjust the boundaries of supervisorial districts after each decennial federal census.
Chapter 508, Statutes of 2012
AB 1200* (Ma-D) County central committees
Makes various changes to the method of electing central committees in response to the impacts of the new top two primary process and recent redistricting.
Chapter 8, Statutes of 2012
AB 1986 (Davis-D) Redistricting: inmates
Requires the Department of Corrections to exclude all inmates in state custody for whom a last known place of residence within California cannot be determined and inmates in deferral custody in a facility within California from the information furnished to the California Citizens Redistricting Commission. Requests the Commission to refrain from publishing any information regarding a specific inmate's last known place of residence and makes clarifying and conforming changes.
Chapter 318, Statutes of 2012
AB 2692 (Assembly Elections And Redistricting Committee) Electoral districts and precincts
Repeals the legal descriptions of the 2001 Assembly and congressional districts effective 1/1/13. Repeals the legal descriptions of Senate and Board of Equalization (BOE) districts effective 1/1/15. (The Senate and BOE district boundaries would remain in statute until 2015 because members of those bodies elected in 2010 will continue to represent those district boundaries until their terms expire in late 2014, in the case of the Senate, or early 2015, in the case of BOE. Additionally, the Senate district boundaries will remain in the code until 2015 because any special election held to fill out the remainder of a term of a Senator who was elected in 2010 will be conducted using these 2001 district lines.) Repeals a provision of law that requires elections officials, when providing the Legislature with information and statistics necessary for use in connection with the drawing of legislative districts, to identify each precinct according to the census tract or enumeration district in which it is located.
Chapter 504, Statutes of 2012
Index (in Measure Order)
Go to Top
Note: * Denotes Urgency or Tax Levy Legislation.
| Measure and Reference | Author | Measure Title |
|---|---|---|
| SB 18 - Political Reform | Blakeslee-R | Political Reform Act: gifts |
| SB 19 - Political Reform | Blakeslee-R | Political Reform Act: automated campaign telephone calls |
| SB 31 - Political Reform | Correa-D | Political Reform: post-government employment |
| SB 35 - Elections | Padilla-D | Voter registration agencies |
| SB 46* - Political Reform | Correa-D | Political Reform Act: public officials compensation |
| SB 83 - Redistricting | Senate Budget And Fiscal Review Committee | Citizens Redistricting Commission |
| SB 106* - Elections | Blakeslee-R | Special elections |
| SB 109* - Elections | Gaines-R | Vote by mail: special elections |
| SB 141 - Elections | Price-D | Elections: payment of expenses |
| SB 304 - Elections | Kehoe-D | All-mailed ballot elections: San Diego |
| SB 348 - Elections | Correa-D | Elections: vote by mail ballots |
| SB 488 - Political Reform | Correa-D | Political reform: slate mailers |
| SB 641 - Elections | Calderon-D | Voter registration |
| SB 802 - Elections | Runner-R | Elections: voting |
| SB 908 - Elections | Runner-R | Elections: ballots: electronic mail |
| SB 1001 - Political Reform | Yee-D | Political Reform Act of 1974: lobbyists |
| SB 1096 - Redistricting | Senate Elections And Constitutional Amendments Committee | Citizens Redistricting Commission |
| SB 1188 - Elections | Senate Elections And Constitutional Amendments Committee | Elections |
| SB 1233 - Elections | Padilla-D | Initiatives and referendums |
| SB 1272 - Elections | Kehoe-D | Political parties: county central committees |
| SB 1275 - Elections | Lieu-D | Special elections: vacancies in office |
| SB 1296 - Elections | Fuller-R | Elections: ballot materials |
| SB 1331 - Redistricting | Kehoe-D | County of San Diego Redistricting Commission |
| SB 1346* - Elections | Negrete McLeod-D | Election day procedures |
| SB 1426 - Political Reform | Blakeslee-R | Political reform: lobbyist employers |
| SB 1553 - Political Reform | Lowenthal-D | Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign statements |
| SCA 4 - Elections | DeSaulnier-D | Initiative measures: funding source |
| SCA 9 - Elections | Hancock-D | Initiatives revision |
| SCA 16 - Elections | Wyland-R | Initiatives revision |
| SCA 19 - Elections | Fuller-R | Elections: ballot measures |
| SCR 58 - Elections | La Malfa-R | California's initiative history |
| SCR 81 - Elections | Yee-D | Voter Registration Day |
| SJR 29 - Elections | Yee-D | Voting: disenfranchisement |
| SR 38 - Elections | Yee-D | Voting rights |
| AB 41* - Political Reform | Hill-D | Political Reform Act: High-Speed Rail Authority |
| AB 71 - Political Reform | Huber-D | Political Reform Act: lobbyists disclosure |
| AB 145 - Elections | Pan-D | Voter registration: paid registration activities |
| AB 148 - Political Reform | Smyth-R | Political reform: local government officials |
| AB 216 - Elections | Swanson-D | Voter registration |
| AB 218 - Elections | Wieckowski-D | Special election: estate and sales tax |
| AB 299 - Elections | Eng-D | Voting rights: language assistance |
| AB 346 - Elections | Atkins-D | Polling places: higher education campuses |
| AB 435 - Elections | Wagner-R | Elections: nonpartisan office |
| AB 447 - Political Reform | Huffman-D | Political Reform Act: disclosure filing |
| AB 477 - Elections | Valadao-R | Elections: vote by mail ballots |
| AB 481 - Political Reform | Gordon-D | Political Reform Act of 1974 |
| AB 562* - Elections | Fong-D | Elections: vote by mail |
| AB 785 - Political Reform | Mendoza-D | Political reform: public officials actions |
| AB 860 - Political Reform | Jones-R | Political reform: contributions |
| AB 867 - Elections | Swanson-D | Elections: voting: residency confirmation |
| AB 1146 - Political Reform | Norby-R | Political reform: contribution limits |
| AB 1148 - Political Reform | Brownley-D | Political reform: advertisements disclosure |
| AB 1200* - Elections | Ma-D | Elections: county central committees |
| AB 1200* - Redistricting | Ma-D | County central committees |
| AB 1201 - Elections | Fong-D | Voter registration |
| AB 1241 - Political Reform | Norby-R | Political reform: contributions |
| AB 1252 - Elections | Davis-D | Elections: Los Angeles Community College District |
| AB 1365 - Elections | Nielsen-R | Voter registration: information sharing |
| AB 1413* - Elections | Fong-D | Elections |
| AB 1422* - Elections | Perea-D | Elections: Water Bond postponement |
| AB 1436 - Elections | Feuer-D | Voter registration |
| AB 1477 - Elections | Assembly Budget Committee | Vote-by-mail ballots: Budget Trailer Bill |
| AB 1499 - Elections | Assembly Budget Committee | Elections: ballot order for statewide measures |
| AB 1509 - Political Reform | Hayashi-D | Political Reform Act of 1974: local elected officials |
| AB 1626 - Elections | Yamada-D | Election materials |
| AB 1648 - Political Reform | Brownley-D | Political Reform Act of 1974: disclosures |
| AB 1716 - Elections | Garrick-R | Elections: voter identification |
| AB 1724 - Elections | Fong-D | Elections: voting |
| AB 1805 - Elections | Huffman-D | Military and overseas voters |
| AB 1814 - Elections | Eng-D | Bilingual voting assistance |
| AB 1851 - Elections | Allen-D | Local initiative petitions |
| AB 1881 - Political Reform | Donnelly-R | Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign statements |
| AB 1929* - Elections | Gorell-R | Elections: casting ballots |
| AB 1979 - Elections | Roger Hernández-D | Local elections: West Covina |
| AB 1986 - Redistricting | Davis-D | Redistricting: inmates |
| AB 2054 - Elections | Fong-D | Elections: vote by mail ballots |
| AB 2058 - Elections | Pan-D | Voter registration |
| AB 2062* - Political Reform | Davis-D | Political reform: economic interest statements |
| AB 2080 - Elections | Gordon-D | Elections: vote by mail ballots |
| AB 2146 - Political Reform | Cook-R | Political Reform Act of 1974: San Bernardino County |
| AB 2162 - Political Reform | Portantino-D | Political Reform Act of 1974: economic interest disclosure |
| AB 2191 - Political Reform | Norby-R | Political Reform Act of 1974: county central committees |
| AB 2220 - Elections | Gatto-D | Elections: statewide ballot pamphlet |
| AB 2239 - Political Reform | Norby-R | Political reform: contribution limits |
| AB 2410 - Elections | Fuentes-D | Elective office: felony convictions |
| AB 2452 - Political Reform | Ammiano-D | Political Reform Act of 1974: campaign disclosure |
| AB 2479 - Elections | Donnelly-R | Voter registration: proof of citizenship |
| AB 2572 - Elections | Furutani-D | Elections: Los Angeles Community College District |
| AB 2691 - Political Reform | Assembly Elections And Redistricting Committee | Political Reform Act of 1974 |
| AB 2692 - Elections | Assembly Elections And Redistricting Committee | Precinct boundaries |
| AB 2692 - Redistricting | Assembly Elections And Redistricting Committee | Electoral districts and precincts |
| ACA 5 - Elections | Portantino-D | Initiatives: state finance reform |
| ACA 6 - Elections | Gatto-D | Initiative measures: funding source |
| ACA 7 - Elections | Feuer-D | Initiative measures: funding source |
| ACA 9 - Elections | Gatto-D | Initiative measures: supermajority requirement |
| ACA 10 - Elections | Gatto-D | Initiatives |
| ACA 11 - Elections | Gatto-D | Initiatives: constitutional amendments |
| ACA 12 - Elections | Gatto-D | Initiatives |
| ACA 19 - Elections | Allen-D | Initiatives |
| AJR 22 - Political Reform | Wieckowski-D | Campaign finance reform |
