BILL NUMBER: AB 732	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 26, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Buchanan
    (   Coauthors:   Assembly Members 
 Gordon,   Jeffries,   and Silva   )


                        FEBRUARY 17, 2011

   An act to  add Section 9088.5 to   amend
Section 9087 of  the Elections Code,   and to amend Section
88003 of the Government Code,   relating to elections.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 732, as amended, Buchanan. Bond measures: ballot pamphlet:
Legislative Analyst  : table  .
   Existing law regulates the form and content of the ballot pamphlet
submitted to voters prior to each statewide election, and requires
the Legislative Analyst to  include in the ballot pamphlet a
specified discussion of state bonded indebtedness  
prepare for the ballot pamphlet an analysis of each statewide
measure, including a fiscal analysis of each measure showing the
amount of any increase or decrease in revenue or cost to state or
local government. Existing law requires the title and s  
ummary of a measure that appears on the ballot to be amended to
contain a summary of the Legislative Analyst's estimate of the net
state and local government fiscal impact  . 
   This bill would add to the ballot pamphlet for each statewide
election at which a bond measure is at issue a simple and easy to
understand graph, chart, or report card, prepared by the Legislative
Analyst, illustrating this information relating to state bonded
indebtedness, as specified.  
   This bill would, for state bond measures that are submitted to the
voters for their approval or rejection, require the summary of the
Legislative Analyst's estimate of the net state and local government
fiscal impact to include an explanatory table of the information in
the summary. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

   SECTION 1.    Section 9087 of the  
Elections Code   is amended to read: 
   9087.  (a) The Legislative Analyst shall prepare an impartial
analysis of the measure describing the measure and including a fiscal
analysis of the measure showing the amount of any increase or
decrease in revenue or cost to state or local government. If it is
estimated that a measure would result in increased cost to the state,
an analysis of the measure's estimated impact on the state shall be
provided, including an estimate of the percentage of the General Fund
that would be expended due to the measure, using visual aids when
appropriate. An estimate of increased cost to the state or local
governments shall be set out in boldface print in the ballot
pamphlet.
   (b) The analysis shall be written in clear and concise terms, so
as to be easily understood by the average voter, and shall avoid the
use of technical terms wherever possible. The analysis may contain
background information, including the effect of the measure on
existing law and the effect of enacted legislation which will become
effective if the measure is adopted, and shall generally set forth in
an impartial manner the information the average voter needs to
adequately understand the measure. To the extent practicable, the
Legislative Analyst shall utilize a uniform method in each analysis
to describe the estimated increase or decrease in revenue or cost of
a measure, so that the average voter may draw comparisons among the
fiscal impacts of measures. The condensed statement of the fiscal
impact summary for the measure prepared by the Attorney General to
appear on the ballot shall contain the uniform estimate of increase
or decrease in revenue or cost of the measure prepared pursuant to
this subdivision.
   (c) The Legislative Analyst may contract with a professional
writer, educational specialist, or another person for assistance in
writing an analysis that fulfills the requirements of this section,
including the requirement that the analysis be written so that it
will be easily understood by the average voter. The Legislative
Analyst may also request the assistance of a state department,
agency, or official in preparing his or her analysis.
   (d) Prior to submitting the analysis to the Secretary of State,
the Legislative Analyst shall submit the analysis to a committee of
five persons, appointed by the Legislative Analyst, for the purpose
of reviewing the analysis to confirm its clarity and easy
comprehension to the average voter. The committee shall be drawn from
the public at large, and one member shall be a specialist in
education, one member shall be bilingual, and one member shall be a
professional writer. Members of the committee shall be reimbursed for
reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in performing their
duties. Within five days of the submission of the analysis to the
committee, the committee shall make recommendations to the
Legislative Analyst as it deems appropriate to guarantee that the
analysis can be easily understood by the average voter. The
Legislative Analyst shall consider the committee's recommendations,
and he or she shall incorporate in the analysis those changes
recommended by the committee that he or she deems to be appropriate.
The Legislative Analyst is solely responsible for determining the
content of the analysis required by this section.
   (e)  (1)    The title  and su  
mmary  of  the   any  measure that
appears on the ballot shall be amended to contain a summary of the
Legislative Analyst's estimate of the net state and local government
fiscal impact. 
   (2) For state bond measures that are submitted to the voters for
their approval or rejection, the summary of the Legislative Analyst's
estimate described in paragraph (1) shall include an explanatory
table of the information in the summary. 
   SEC. 2.    Section 88003 of the   Government
Code   is amended to read: 
   88003.  The Legislative Analyst shall prepare an impartial
analysis of the measure describing the measure and including a fiscal
analysis of the measure showing the amount of any increase or
decrease in revenue or cost to state or local government. Any
estimate of increased cost to local governments shall be set out in
boldface print in the ballot pamphlet. The analysis shall be written
in clear and concise terms which will easily be understood by the
average voter, and shall avoid the use of technical terms wherever
possible. The analysis may contain background information, including
the effect of the measure on existing law and the effect of enacted
legislation which will become effective if the measure is adopted,
and shall generally set forth in an impartial manner the information
which the average voter needs to understand the measure adequately.
The Legislative Analyst may contract with professional writers,
educational specialists or other persons for assistance in writing an
analysis that fulfills the requirements of this section, including
the requirement that the analysis be written so that it will be
easily understood by the average voter. The Legislative Analyst may
also request the assistance of any state department, agency, or
official in preparing his or her analysis. Prior to submission of the
analysis to the Secretary of State, the Legislative Analyst shall
submit the analysis to a committee of five persons appointed by the
Legislative analyst for the purpose of reviewing the analysis to
confirm its clarity and easy comprehension to the average voter. The
committee shall be drawn from the public at large, and one member
shall be a specialist in education, one shall be bilingual, and one
shall be a professional writer. Members of the committee shall be
reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in
performing their duties. Within five days of the submission of the
analysis to the committee, the committee shall make such
recommendations to the Legislative Analyst as it deems appropriate to
guarantee that the analysis can be easily understood by the average
voter. The Legislative Analyst shall consider the committee's
recommendations, and he or she shall incorporate in the analysis
those changes recommended by the committee that he or she deems to be
appropriate. The Legislative Analyst is solely responsible for
determining the content of the analysis required by this section. The
title  and summary  of  the   any
 measure which appears on the ballot shall be amended to contain
a summary of the Legislative Analyst's estimate of the net state and
local government financial impact.  For state bond measures that
are submitted to the voters for their approval or rejection, the
summary of the Legislative Analyst's estimate of the net state and
local government fiscal impact shall include an explanatory table of
the information in the summary. 
   SEC. 3.    The Legislature finds and declares that
this act permits or requires the inclusion of additional information
on the ballot pamphlet in accordance with Section 88007 of the
Government Code.  
  SECTION 1.    Section 9088.5 is added to the
Elections Code, to read:
   9088.5.  At each statewide election at which a state bond measure
will be submitted to the voters for their approval or rejection, the
ballot pamphlet for that election shall include a simple and easy to
understand graph, chart, or report card, prepared by the Legislative
Analyst, illustrating the information included in the discussion
prepared pursuant to Section 9088.