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
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|Ayes:|Fong, Bocanegra, Bonta, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, |
| |Hall, Perea | |Bradford, |
| | | |Ian Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Eggman, Gomez, Hall, |
| | | |Holden, Pan, Quirk, Weber |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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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
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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