BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1096|
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CONSENT
Bill No: SB 1096
Author: Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments
Committee
Amended: 5/1/12
Vote: 27
SENATE ELECTIONS & CONSTIT. AMEND. COMM. : 5-0, 04/19/12
AYES: Correa, La Malfa, De León, Gaines, Lieu
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Citizens Redistricting Commission
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill makes various changes the law
governing the California Citizens Redistricting Commission
and the redistricting process, as specified.
ANALYSIS : Existing law provides that the Citizens
Redistricting Commission is charged with various duties and
responsibilities in connection with redistricting Assembly,
Senate, Board of Equalization, and congressional districts.
Existing law requires the State Auditor to initiate a
process by which members of the commission are selected,
including requirements that applicants be screened by an
Applicant Review Panel comprised of 3 qualified independent
auditors, as defined, and that the State Auditor and
Applicant Review Panel meet prescribed deadlines in
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selecting members of the commission.
This bill revises the prescribed deadlines to provide
additional time to select commission members. The bill
would also limit membership on the Applicant Review Panel
to auditors who are employed by the Bureau of State Audits.
Existing law requires the Citizens Redistricting Commission
to hire commission staff, legal counsel, and consultants,
as needed, and requires the Secretary of State to provide
support functions to the Citizens Redistricting Commission
until its staff and office are fully functional.
This bill instead requires the State Auditor to provide
support functions to the Citizens Redistricting Commission
until its staff and office are fully functional and make
other conforming changes.
Existing law requires that a vacancy on the commission be
filled within 30 days from a specified pool of applicants.
This bill requires that the commission fill a vacancy
within 30 days from the specified subpool of applicants if
the vacancy occurs prior to December 31 of a year ending in
2, but within 90 days if the vacancy occurs on or after
December 31 of a year ending in 2.
Existing law requires the commission to provide not less
than 14 days' public notice for each meeting, except that
meetings held in September in the year ending in the number
one may be held with three days' notice.
This bill instead requires the commission to provide not
less than 14 days' public notice for each meeting held for
the purpose of receiving public input testimony, except
that meetings held in August in the year ending in the
number one may be held with three days' notice.
Existing law requires the commission to take public comment
for at least 14 days from the date that any map is publicly
displayed.
This bill requires the commission to publicly display the
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first preliminary statewide maps for specified offices no
later than July 1 of a year ending in 1, and prohibits the
public display of any other map during the 14 days of
public comment for those maps. This bill requires
subsequent preliminary statewide maps to be subject to
public comment for at least seven days, and the final
statewide maps to be subject to public comment for three
days.
Existing law provides that Legislature may amend the act
governing the Citizens Redistricting Commission to further
the act's purposes upon a 2/3 vote of each house and
compliance with specified procedural requirements,
including that the bill containing amendments to the act's
provisions be in print for 10 days and that the Legislature
not enact amendments to the act's provisions in a year
ending in 0 or 1.
This bill instead requires that a bill be in print for at
least 12 days and additionally prohibit the Legislature
from amending the act in a year ending in 9.
Background
The Citizens Redistricting Commission . In November 2008,
voters passed Proposition 11, which created the Citizens
Redistricting Commission to establish new district
boundaries for the State Assembly, State Senate, and Board
of Equalization beginning after the 2010 census. In
November 2010, voters passed Proposition 20 which required
the commission to also establish new boundaries for
California's congressional districts. The commission
consists of 14 registered voters, including five Democrats,
five Republicans, and four others all of whom applied for
the position and were chosen according to a procedure
specified in the ballot measures.
Amendment Process . The Legislature may not amend the law
governing the make-up and duties of the Citizens
Redistricting Commission unless all of the following are
met:
By the same vote required for the adoption of the final
set of maps, the commission recommends amendments to
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carry out its purpose and intent.
The exact language of the amendments provided by the
commission is enacted as a statute approved by a
two-thirds vote of each house of the Legislature and
signed by the Governor.
The bill containing the amendments provided by the
commission is in print for 10 days before final passage
by the Legislature.
The amendments further the purposes of the act that
created the commission.
The amendments may not be passed by the Legislature in a
year ending in 0 or 1.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/2/12)
California Common Cause
California Forward
League of Women Voters of California
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
this bill represents several common sense improvements to
the statutes governing the California Citizens
Redistricting Commission and the redistricting process
negotiated with numerous interested parties. Specifically,
starting the application and selection process for
commissioners four and one-half months earlier would give
future commissions more time to hire staff and consultants
in an open, public process. The Commission would also have
more time to conduct additional public education and
outreach. This bill also addresses many procedural issues
such as noticing requirements for meetings that will assist
future commissions' ability to complete their mission.
DLW:nl 5/7/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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