BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 214
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 10, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    AB 214 (Skinner) - As Amended:  April 2, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              ElectionsVote:5-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to develop and  
          publish guidelines for voting in the event of a natural disaster  
          or other state of emergency. Specifically, this bill requires  
          the SOS, by December 31, 2014, to:

          1)Consult with county elections officials and establish the  
            procedures, and publish the guidelines on the SOS website.

          2)Report to the Legislature on the state's readiness to conduct  
            elections during or following a natural disaster or other  
            state of emergency.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          One-time GF costs to the SOS of about $125,000 for a half-time  
          attorney position to conduct research, consult with counties,  
          develop and publish the procedures and guidelines, and complete  
          the report to the Legislature.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  . Hurricane Sandy, which struck the Northeast on October  
          29, 2012-just eight days before the November general  
          election-focused attention on the preparedness of state and  
          local governments to conduct elections in the event of a natural  
          disaster. Given California's susceptibility to such events, the  
          author believes that the guidelines developed through AB 214  
          will help ensure that citizens' voting rights are not hindered  
          by a natural disaster.

          Twelve other states have emergency response laws authorizing  








                                                                  AB 214
                                                                  Page  2

          election contingency plans in the event of an emergency, and  
          Alabama and Oklahoma also have similar legislation pending this  
          year.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081