BILL NUMBER: AB 6	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 26, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Saldana

                        DECEMBER 1, 2008

   An act  to add section 9023 to the Elections Code, 
relating to elections.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 6, as amended, Saldana. Initiatives: paid circulators.
   Existing law regulates the process of proposing initiative
measures to the people and sets forth qualifications for persons who
circulate initiative petitions in the state. 
   This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to require
employees of entities who are paid to circulate and collect
signatures on initiative petitions to register as lobbyists with the
Secretary of State.  
   This bill would require a professional petition firm, as defined,
that pays petition circulators to gather signatures for state or
local ballot initiatives to register with the Secretary of State and
pay an unspecified registration fee. The bill would require the
Secretary of State to use the fees collected to provide mandatory
training regarding laws relating to petition circulation to
designated officers of each firm. The Secretary of State would also
be required to maintain a directory of professional petition firms on
its website.  
   This bill would require an officer of the firm to brief petition
circulators on the relevant law regarding circulation of petitions as
a condition of hiring and to submit to the Secretary of State a
statement signed by each petition circulator that he or she has
received the briefing. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    Section 9023 is added to the  
Elections Code   , to read:  
   9023.  (a) For purposes of this section, a "professional petition
firm" means an entity that pays individuals to circulate petitions
and gather signatures for the purpose of qualifying an initiative on
a state or local election ballot.
   (b) A professional petition firm shall register annually with the
Secretary of State in order to be eligible to pay individuals to
circulate petitions and collect signatures in order to qualify an
initiative on a state or local election ballot. Registration shall
include the full name, address, and partners, owners, or officers of
the firm. This information shall be accompanied by a registration fee
of $__.
   (c) Money collected from registration fees shall be used by the
Secretary of State to develop and conduct a training course that
covers the relevant law pertaining to signature gathering and a
designated officer of each professional petition firm shall attend
the training course. The Secretary of State shall also use
registration fees to maintain on its Internet Website a directory of
professional petition firms.
   (d) An officer of the professional petition firm who has completed
the training course described in subdivision (c) shall review the
law relating to obtaining petition signatures, including
prohibitions, with each paid petition circulator, individually or in
a group, as a condition of their hiring. A statement, signed by a
paid petition circulator, that they have received the review,
required by this subdivision, of the relevant law relating to
obtaining petition signatures, shall be submitted by the professional
petition firm to the Secretary of State.
   (e) Nothing in this section shall abridge or restrict the
provisions of Section 9021.  
  SECTION 1.    It is the intent of the Legislature
to require employees of entities who are paid to circulate and
collect signatures on initiative petitions to register as lobbyists
with the Secretary of State.