Amended in Senate June 20, 2013

Amended in Senate May 21, 2013

Senate Constitutional Amendment No. 3

Introduced by Senators Leno begin delete , Hill, and Pavley end delete begin insert and Steinberg end insert

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(Principal coauthors: Senators Corbett and Wolk)

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(Coauthors: Senators De León, DeSaulnier, Evans, Price, and Yee)

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Ammiano, Buchanan, and Gordon)

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(Principal coauthor: Senator Wolk)

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(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Levine and Stone)

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(Coauthor: Senator Galgiani)

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(Coauthor: Assembly Member Logue)

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December 3, 2012

Senate Constitutional Amendment No. 3— begin delete A resolution to propose to the people of the State of California an amendment to the Constitution of the State, by amending Section 4 of, and by adding Section 4.5 to, Article XIII end delete begin delete   end delete begin delete A thereof, by amending Section 2 of Article XIII end delete begin delete   end delete begin delete C thereof, and by amending Section 3 of Article XIII end delete begin delete   end delete begin delete D thereof, relating to taxation. end delete begin insert A resolution to propose to the people of the State of California an amendment to the Constitution of the State, by amending Section 3 of Article I and Section 6 of Article XIII B thereof, relating to public information. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCA 3, as amended, Leno. begin delete Taxation: educational entities: parcel tax. end delete begin insert Public information. end insert

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The California Constitution provides that the people have the right of access to information concerning the conduct of the people’s business. The California Constitution requires that the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies be open to public scrutiny. The California Constitution requires that whenever the Legislature or any state agency mandates a new program or higher level of service on any local government, the state shall provide a subvention of funds to reimburse the local government for the costs of the program or increased level of service. The California Constitution exempts certain mandates from the requirement to provide a subvention of funds.

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The California Public Records Act (CPRA) provides that public records are open to inspection at all times during the office hours of the state or local agency that retains those records, and that every person has a right to inspect any public record, except as provided. The Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act) requires each legislative body of a local agency to provide notice of the time and place for holding regular meetings and requires that all meetings of a legislative body be open and public. Under the act, all persons are permitted to attend any meeting of the legislative body of a local agency, unless a closed session is authorized.

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This measure would require each local agency to comply with the CPRA and the Brown Act, and with any subsequent statutory enactment amending either act, enacting a successor act, or amending any successor act which contains findings demonstrating that the statutory enactment furthers the purposes of the people’s right of access to information concerning the conduct of the people’s business. The measure would specifically exempt mandates contained within the scope of those acts, and certain subsequent statutory enactments that contain findings demonstrating that the statutory enactment furthers those same purposes, from the requirement to provide a subvention of funds.

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The California Constitution generally conditions the imposition of a special tax by a city, county, or special district, including a school district, upon the approval of 2⁄3 of the voters of the city, county, or special district voting on that tax.

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This measure would alternatively condition the imposition, extension, or increase of a parcel tax, as defined, by a school district, community college district, or county office of education upon the approval of 55% of its voters voting on the proposition, if the proposition meets specified requirements. This measure would also make conforming changes to related provisions.

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Vote: ²⁄₃. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

Resolved by the Senate, the Assembly concurring, That the
Legislature of the State of California at its 2013-14 Regular
Session commencing on the third day of December 2012,
two-thirds of the membership of each house concurring, hereby
proposes to the people of the State of California, that the
Constitution of the State be amended as follows:

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begin insert First-- end insert   

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begin insert That Section 3 of Article I thereof is amended to read: end insert

SEC. 3.  

(a) The people have the right to instruct their
representatives, petition government for redress of grievances, and
assemble freely to consult for the common good.

(b) (1) The people have the right of access to information
concerning the conduct of the people’s business, and, therefore,
the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials
and agencies shall be open to public scrutiny.

(2) A statute, court rule, or other authority, including those in
effect on the effective date of this subdivision, shall be broadly
construed if it furthers the people’s right of access, and narrowly
construed if it limits the right of access. A statute, court rule, or
other authority adopted after the effective date of this subdivision
that limits the right of access shall be adopted with findings
demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need
for protecting that interest.

(3) Nothing in this subdivision supersedes or modifies the right
of privacy guaranteed by Section 1 or affects the construction of
any statute, court rule, or other authority to the extent that it
protects that right to privacy, including any statutory procedures
governing discovery or disclosure of information concerning the
official performance or professional qualifications of a peace
officer.

(4) Nothing in this subdivision supersedes or modifies any
provision of this Constitution, including the guarantees that a
person may not be deprived of life, liberty, or property without
due process of law, or denied equal protection of the laws, as
provided in Section 7.

(5) This subdivision does not repeal or nullify, expressly or by
implication, any constitutional or statutory exception to the right
of access to public records or meetings of public bodies that is in
effect on the effective date of this subdivision, including, but not
limited to, any statute protecting the confidentiality of law
enforcement and prosecution records.

(6) Nothing in this subdivision repeals, nullifies, supersedes, or
modifies protections for the confidentiality of proceedings and
records of the Legislature, the Members of the Legislature, and its
employees, committees, and caucuses provided by Section 7 of
Article IV, state law, or legislative rules adopted in furtherance of
those provisions; nor does it affect the scope of permitted discovery
in judicial or administrative proceedings regarding deliberations
of the Legislature, the Members of the Legislature, and its
employees, committees, and caucuses.

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(7) In order to ensure public access to the meetings of public
bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, as
specified in paragraph (1), each local agency is hereby required
to comply with the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5
(commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the
Government Code) and the Ralph M. Brown Act (Chapter 9
(commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title
5 of the Government Code), and with any subsequent statutory
enactment amending either act, enacting a successor act, or
amending any successor act that contains findings demonstrating
that the statutory enactment furthers the purposes of this section.

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begin insert Second-- end insert   

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begin insert That Section 6 of Article XIII B thereof is amended to
read: end insert

SEC. 6.  

(a) Whenever the Legislature or any state agency
mandates a new program or higher level of service on any local
government, the State shall provide a subvention of funds to
reimburse that local government for the costs of the program or
increased level of service, except that the Legislature may, but
need not, provide a subvention of funds for the following mandates:

(1) Legislative mandates requested by the local agency affected.

(2) Legislation defining a new crime or changing an existing
definition of a crime.

(3) Legislative mandates enacted prior to January 1, 1975, or
executive orders or regulations initially implementing legislation
enacted prior to January 1, 1975.

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(4) Legislative mandates contained in statutes within the scope
of paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 3 of Article I.

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(b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), for the 2005-06
fiscal year and every subsequent fiscal year, for a mandate for
which the costs of a local government claimant have been
determined in a preceding fiscal year to be payable by the State
pursuant to law, the Legislature shall either appropriate, in the
annual Budget Act, the full payable amount that has not been
previously paid, or suspend the operation of the mandate for the
fiscal year for which the annual Budget Act is applicable in a
manner prescribed by law.

(2) Payable claims for costs incurred prior to the 2004-05 fiscal
year that have not been paid prior to the 2005-06 fiscal year may
be paid over a term of years, as prescribed by law.

(3) Ad valorem property tax revenues shall not be used to
reimburse a local government for the costs of a new program or
higher level of service.

(4) This subdivision applies to a mandate only as it affects a
city, county, city and county, or special district.

(5) This subdivision shall not apply to a requirement to provide
or recognize any procedural or substantive protection, right, benefit,
or employment status of any local government employee or retiree,
or of any local government employee organization, that arises
from, affects, or directly relates to future, current, or past local
government employment and that constitutes a mandate subject
to this section.

(c) A mandated new program or higher level of service includes
a transfer by the Legislature from the State to cities, counties, cities
and counties, or special districts of complete or partial financial
responsibility for a required program for which the State previously
had complete or partial financial responsibility.

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First--  

That Section 4 of Article XIII A thereof is amended to
read:

SEC. 4.  

Except as provided by Section 4.5, a city, county, or
special district, by a two-thirds vote of its voters voting on the
proposition, may impose a special tax within that city, county, or
special district, except an ad valorem tax on real property or a
transactions tax or sales tax on the sale of real property within that
city, county, or special district.

Second--  

That Section 4.5 is added to Article XIII A thereof,
to read:

SEC. 4.5.  

(a) The imposition, extension, or increase of a parcel
tax on real property by a school district, community college district,
or county office of education, as may otherwise be authorized by
law, is subject to approval by 55 percent of the voters of that district
or county voting on the proposition, if all of the following
conditions are met:

(1) The proposition is approved by a majority vote of the
membership of the governing board of the school district,
community college district, or county office of education.

(2) The proposition contains all of the following accountability
requirements:

(A) A list of the specific purposes and programs that are to be
funded.

(B) A requirement that the proceeds be used only for the
purposes and programs specified in the proposition, and not for
any other purpose.

(C) To ensure compliance with subparagraph (B), a requirement
that the governing board of the school district, community college
district, or county office of education conduct an annual
independent financial audit of the amount of parcel tax proceeds
collected and expended, and the specified purposes and programs
funded.

(D) To ensure compliance with subparagraph (B), a requirement
that the governing board of the school district, community college
district, or county office of education establish a citizens’ oversight
committee to review all expenditures of proceeds and financial
audits, and report its findings to the governing board and to the
public.

(3) The proposition allows for an exemption from tax, to be
claimed under procedures established by the county, for any parcel
that, as of January 1 of each year, is owned by and upon which is
located the principal residence of, either a person or persons
receiving Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, regardless
of age, whose yearly income does not exceed 25 percent of the
2012 federal poverty guidelines issued by the United States
Department of Health and Human Services, or a person or persons
receiving Supplemental Security Income for a disability.

(b) For purposes of this section, “parcel tax” means a special
tax imposed upon a parcel of real property at a rate that is
determined without regard to that property’s value.

(c) The total amount of parcel tax impositions, increases, or
extensions submitted to the voters for approval in accordance with
this section at any election by a school district, community college
district, or county office of education shall be established by the
governing board of the school district, community college district,
or county office of education and shall not exceed that amount.
This maximum amount shall be annually adjusted to account for
inflation, measured as the annual change, from June to June of
each year, in the California Consumer Price Index, as published
by the Department of Industrial Relations, or any successor to that
index.

(d) Proceeds of any tax approved pursuant to this section shall
not be used to pay salaries of any administrator of any school
district, community college district, or county office of education.

(e) This section does not limit any other authority of a school
district, community college district, or county office of education
to impose a special tax approved in accordance with Section 4 of
this article or Section 2 of Article XIII   C.

Third--  

That Section 2 of Article XIII C thereof is amended to
read:

SEC. 2.  

Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Constitution:

(a) Any tax imposed by any local government is either a general
tax or a special tax. A special district or agency, including a school
district, has no authority to levy a general tax.

(b) A local government may not impose, extend, or increase
any general tax unless and until that tax is submitted to the
electorate and approved by a majority vote. A general tax is not
deemed to have been increased if it is imposed at a rate not higher
than the maximum rate so approved. The election required by this
subdivision shall be consolidated with a regularly scheduled general
election for members of the governing body of the local
government, except in cases of emergency declared by a unanimous
vote of the governing body.

(c) Any general tax imposed, extended, or increased, without
voter approval, by any local government on or after January 1,
1995, and prior to November 6, 1996, may continue to be imposed
only if that general tax is approved by a majority vote of the voters
voting in an election on the issue of the imposition, which election
shall be held no later than November 6, 1998, and in compliance
with subdivision (b).

(d) Except as provided by Section 4.5 of Article XIII A, a local
government may not impose, extend, or increase any special tax
unless and until that tax is submitted to the electorate and approved
by a two-thirds vote. A special tax is not deemed to have been
increased if it is imposed at a rate not higher than the maximum
rate so approved.

Fourth--  

That Section 3 of Article XIII D thereof is amended
to read:

SEC. 3.  

(a) An agency shall not assess a tax, assessment, fee,
or charge upon any parcel of property or upon any person as an
incident of property ownership except:

(1) The ad valorem property tax imposed pursuant to Article
XIII and Article XIII A.

(2) Any special tax receiving a two-thirds vote pursuant to
Section 4 of Article XIII A, or, as applicable, a 55-percent vote
pursuant to Section 4.5 of Article XIII A.

(3) Assessments as provided by this article.

(4) Fees or charges for property-related services as provided by
this article.

(b) For purposes of this article, fees for the provision of electrical
or gas service are not charges or fees imposed as an incident of
property ownership.

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CORRECTIONS:

Heading--Lines 1, 2, 3, and 4.

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