BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 2243
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          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
          AB 2243 (Weber)
          As Introduced  February 21, 2014
          Majority vote 

           PUBLIC SAFETY       5-1         APPROPRIATIONS      13-4        
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Ammiano, Jones-Sawyer,    |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra,         |
          |     |Quirk, Skinner, Stone     |     |Bradford,                 |
          |     |                          |     |Ian Calderon, Campos,     |
          |     |                          |     |Donnelly, Eggman, Gomez,  |
          |     |                          |     |Holden, Pan, Quirk,       |
          |     |                          |     |Ridley-Thomas, Weber      |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |Nays:|Melendez                  |Nays:|Bigelow, Allen, Linder,   |
          |     |                          |     |Wagner                    |
          |     |                          |     |                          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
           SUMMARY  :  Requires the California Department of Corrections and  
          Rehabilitation (CDCR) to make specified information relating to  
          voting rights of incarcerated persons available to the public.   
          Specifically,  this bill  :  

          1)Requires CDCR to do one of the following:

             a)   Establish and maintain on the department's Internet Web  
               site a hyperlink to the Internet Web site at which the  
               Secretary of State's voting rights guide for incarcerated  
               persons may be found.

             b)   Post, in each parole office where parolees are seen, a  
               notice that contains the Internet Web site address at which  
               the Secretary of State's voting rights guide for  
               incarcerated persons may be found.

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)Requires each county probation department to do one of the  
            following:

             a)   Establish and maintain on the county probation  
               department's Internet Web site a hyperlink to the Internet  








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               Web site at which the Secretary of State's voting rights  
               guide for incarcerated persons may be found.

             b)   Post, in each county probation department where  
               probationers are seen, a notice that contains the Internet  
               Web site address at which the Secretary of State's voting  
               rights guide for incarcerated persons may be found.

          2)Requires the Legislature to provide for the disqualification  
            of electors while mentally incompetent or imprisoned or on  
            parole for the conviction of a felony.

          3)Requires that a person be a U.S. citizen, California resident,  
            not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and  
            at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election to  
            be entitled to register to vote in this state.

          4)Requires the facility administrator of a local detention  
            facility to develop written policies and procedures whereby  
            the county registrar of voters allows qualified voters to vote  
            in local, state, and federal elections, pursuant to election  
            codes.

           FISCAL EFFECT :  According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee, negligible state costs.

           COMMENTS  :  According to the author, "Civic participation can be  
          a critical component of re-entry and has been linked to reduced  
          recidivism, persons involved in our criminal justice system are  
          not apprised of their voting rights nor is accurate voter  
          information readily accessible to them.  Rumors and  
          misinformation abound, and even from courts, public defenders  
          and elections officials often give out incorrect information  
          about voter eligibility.

          "AB 2243 is a modest measure that aims to ensure persons  
          involved in the criminal justice system are given accurate  
          information about their voting rights and are afforded the  
          opportunity to participate in the civic life of their  
          communities by either requiring each county parole department to  
          post hyperlink on its internet website to the Secretary of  
          State's voting guide for current and formerly incarcerated  
          persons or by posting a notice with the Internet web address  
          containing the Secretary of State's voting rights guide for  








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          incarcerated persons in each parole office where parolees are  
          seen."

          Please see the policy committee analysis for a full discussion  
          of this bill.
           

          Analysis Prepared by  :    Gregory Pagan / PUB. S. / (916)  
          319-3744 


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