BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 1405
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 15, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

             AB 1405 (Committee on Judiciary) - As Introduced:  March 12,  
                                        2013 

          Policy Committee:                              JudiciaryVote:  
          8-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill repeals the Subversive Organization Registration Law  
          (SORL), which requires such organizations, among other things,  
          to register with the Secretary of State (SOS).

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          No fiscal impact, as no organizations have ever filed with the  
          SOS since enactment of the SORL in 1947.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  . According to the Judiciary Committee's analysis of AB  
          1405, "The SORL has a number of characteristics that recommend  
          its repeal.  First, the SORL is likely unconstitutional.   
          Second, given the vagueness of some of its language, the law  
          creates a real potential for abuse against groups that may have  
          unpopular political views.  Finally, as over sixty years of  
          experience have demonstrated, the SORL is an outdated,  
          unutilized, and ineffective statute? [I]t is not expected that  
          any group that actually poses a threat to overthrow the  
          government by violence would ever register, or even have any  
          qualms about not registering. 

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