BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 214 Page 1 ASSEMBLY THIRD READING AB 214 (Skinner) As Amended April 2, 2013 Majority vote ELECTIONS 5-0 APPROPRIATIONS 12-0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Ayes:|Fong, Bocanegra, Bonta, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, | | |Hall, Perea | |Bradford, | | | | |Ian Calderon, Campos, | | | | |Eggman, Gomez, Hall, | | | | |Holden, Pan, Quirk, Weber | |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------| | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY : Requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to develop procedures and 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 do the following: 1)Establish, in consultation with county elections officials, procedures and guidelines for voting in the event of a natural disaster or other state emergency. 2)Publish the guidelines on his or her Web site. 3)Submit a report to the Legislature on the readiness of the state to hold elections during or following a natural disaster or other state of emergency. Requires the report to be submitted in accordance with current law, and makes this requirement inoperative on December 31, 2018, as specified by current law. FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, one-time General Fund 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 : According to the author, "the rights to vote and to have one's vote counted are fundamental tenets of a democracy and are explicitly guaranteed by the Constitution of California. Unpredictable natural disasters, many of which, such as wildfires, storms, floods, and earthquakes, are common in California, reduce AB 214 Page 2 voting accessibility. National attention was brought to this issue when "Superstorm" Sandy made landfall in the United States on October 29, 2012, eight days before the general election, displacing tens of thousands and interfering with the ability of those affected by the storm to vote. Natural disasters on a similar scale have impacted California before, though not so close to an election; for example, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake displaced more than 12,000 people, and the 1994 Northridge earthquake displaced more than 20,000. "This bill will help to ensure Californians' voting rights are not hindered by natural disasters. The guidelines and practices that will be developed as a result of this bill will lead to the development of contingency plans that the state can fall back on in the case of a natural disaster or other emergency. And the report on the preparedness of the state to administer an election in the event of an emergency will further this purpose and lead to improvements in these plans." Analysis Prepared by : Nichole Becker / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094 FN: 0000128