BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2219 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 2219 (Fong) As Amended August 11, 2014 Majority vote ----------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |74-0 |(May 1, 2014) |SENATE: |36-0 |(August 13, | | | | | | |2014) | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: E. & R. SUMMARY : Allows county elections officials to discontinue verifying signatures on a petition once an initiative or referendum has qualified for the ballot, as specified. Specifically, this bill : 1)Requires an elections official or registrar of voters, when conducting a full check of all signatures filed for a statewide initiative or referendum petition, to submit one or more reports to the Secretary of State (SOS) showing the number of signatures of qualified voters that have been verified as of the date. Requires the SOS to determine the number of reports required to be submitted and the manner of their submission. 2)Requires the SOS to maintain a list indicating the number of verified signatures of qualified voters who have signed the petition based on the most recent reports submitted. Provides that if the SOS determines, prior to each county completing the examination of each signature filed, that based on the list the petition is signed by the requisite number of voters needed to declare the petition sufficient, the SOS must immediately notify the elections official or registrar of voters of every county or city and county in the state of this fact. 3)Permits an elections official or registrar of voters, immediately after receipt of the notification described above, to suspend signature verification until receipt of a certificate from the SOS showing that the petition has been signed by the requisite number of qualified voters pursuant to current law, or until otherwise instructed by the SOS. 4)Provides that if an elections official determines, prior to AB 2219 Page 2 completing the examination of each signature filed for a county initiative or referendum, that the petition is signed by the requisite number of qualified voters to declare the petition sufficient, the election official may terminate the verification of the remaining unverified signatures. 5)Makes corresponding changes. The Senate amendments add double-jointing language to avoid chaptering problems with SB 1253 (Steinberg) of the current legislative session. AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar to the version passed by the Senate. FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs. COMMENTS : According to the author, "Under existing law, county elections officials are required to continue to examine and verify petition signatures even after the number has exceeded the required amount of signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. "This bill permits county elections officials to discontinue verifying signatures on a petition once an initiative measure has qualified for the ballot, as specified. AB 2219 has the potential to decrease the cost and staff time spent on continuing to verify signatures that will have no impact on the petition's disposition. "Specifically, AB 2219 allows a county elections official to suspend signature verification on initiative or referendum petitions once it has been determined by the Secretary of State that the measure has the requisite number of valid signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot. Additionally, this bill permits the county elections official to end signature verification on a petition for a county measure if it is determined by the elections official that the petition has the requisite number of signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot." The Senate amendments make technical changes to avoid chaptering problems with SB 1253. This bill, as amended in the Senate, is consistent with Assembly actions. AB 2219 Page 3 Please see the policy committee analysis for a full discussion of this bill. Analysis Prepared by : Nichole Becker / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094 FN: 0004566