Senate Bill No. 311

Introduced by Senator Padilla

February 15, 2013

An act to amend Sections 1415, 9255, and 9260 of the Elections Code, and to amend Sections 34457 and 34458 of the Government Code, relating to elections.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 311, as introduced, Padilla. Local elections: charters and charter proposals.

Existing law requires a charter or charter amendment proposed by a charter commission for a city or city and county to be submitted to the voters at an established statewide general, statewide primary, or regularly scheduled municipal election date, provided there are at least 95 days before the election. Existing law requires specified city or city and county charter proposals to be submitted to the voters at an established statewide general, statewide primary, or regularly scheduled municipal election, provided there are at least 88 days before the election. Existing law also authorizes the governing body of any city or city and county to propose a charter and submit the proposal for the adoption to the voters at the next established statewide general, statewide primary, or regularly scheduled municipal election, provided there are at least 88 days before the election.

This bill would eliminate the option of submitting a city or city and county charter, charter amendment, or charter proposal to the voters at a statewide primary or regularly scheduled municipal election, and would require the charter, charter amendment, or charter proposal to be submitted to the voters at a statewide general election, provide there are at least 95 or 88 days, as applicable, before the election.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 1415 of the Elections Code is amended
to read:

1415.  

City or city and county charter proposals that qualify
pursuant to Section 9255 shall be submitted to the voters at begin delete either end delete
the next begin delete regular general municipal election occurring not less than
88 days after the date of the order of election, or at a special
election called for that purpose or on any end delete established begin insert statewide
general end insert election date begin delete pursuant to Section 1000 end delete occurring not less
than 88 days after the date of the order of election.

SEC. 2.  

Section 9255 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

9255.  

(a) A charter or charter amendment proposed by a charter
commission, whether elected or appointed by a governing body,
for a city or city and county shall be submitted to the voters at an
established statewide general begin delete , statewide primary, or regularly
scheduled municipal end delete election date pursuant to Section 1200, begin delete 1201,
or 1301, end delete provided begin delete that end delete there are at least 95 days before the election.
A charter commission may also submit a charter pursuant to
Section 34455 of the Government Code.

(b) The following city or city and county charter proposals shall
be submitted to the voters at an established statewide general begin delete ,
statewide primary, or regularly scheduled municipal election, end delete
begin insert election end insert pursuant to Section 1200, begin delete 1201, or 1301, end delete provided begin delete that end delete
there are at least 88 days before the election:

(1) An amendment or repeal of a charter proposed by the
governing body of a city or a city and county on its own motion.

(2) An amendment or repeal of a city charter proposed by a
petition signed by 15 percent of the registered voters of the city.

(3) An amendment or repeal of a city and county charter
proposed by a petition signed by 10 percent of the registered voters
of the city and county.

(4) A recodification of the charter proposed by the governing
body on its own motion, provided that the recodification does not,
in any manner, substantially change the provisions of the charter.

(c) Charter proposals by the governing body and charter
proposals by petition of the voters may be submitted at the same
election.

(d) The total number of registered voters of the city or city and
county shall be determined according to the county elections
official’s last official report of registration to the Secretary of State
that was effective at the time the notice required pursuant to Section
9256 was given.

SEC. 3.  

Section 9260 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

9260.  

The petition shall be in substantially the following form:

 
Petition for Submission to Voters of Proposed Amendment to
the Charter of the City (or City and County) of ____

To the city council (or other legislative body) of the City (or
City and County) of ____:

We, the undersigned, registered and qualified voters of the State
of California, residents of the City (or City and County) of ____,
pursuant to Section 3 of Article XI of the California Constitution
and Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 34450) of Part 1 of
Division 2 of Title 4 of the Government Code, present to the city
council (or other legislative body) of the city (or city and county)
this petition and request that the following proposed amendment
to the charter of the city (or city and county) be submitted to the
registered and qualified voters of the city (or city and county) for
their adoption or rejection at the next statewide general begin delete , statewide
primary, or regularly scheduled municipal end delete election date pursuant
to Section 1200 begin delete , 1201, or 1301 end delete .

The proposed charter amendment reads as follows:

First. (setting forth the text of the amendment) ____ (etc.)

 

Signature		Printed Name		Residence		Date

 

SEC. 4.  

Section 34457 of the Government Code is amended
to read:

34457.  

After the charter prepared by the charter commission
has been filed in the office of the clerk of the governing body of
the city or city and county pursuant to Section 34455, the proposed
charter shall be submitted to the voters of the city or city and
county at the next established statewide general begin delete , statewide primary,
or regularly scheduled municipal end delete election date pursuant to Section
1200 begin delete , 1201, or 1301 end delete of the Elections Code, provided there are at
least 95 days before the election.

SEC. 5.  

Section 34458 of the Government Code is amended
to read:

34458.  

(a) As an alternative to the procedure provided for in
Sections 34450 to 34457, inclusive, the governing body of any
city or city and county, on its own motion may propose or cause
to be proposed, amend or cause to be amended, or repeal or cause
to be repealed, a charter, and may submit the proposal for the
adoption, amendment, or repeal thereof, to the voters at the next
established statewide general begin delete , statewide primary, or regularly
scheduled municipal end delete election date pursuant to Section 1200 begin delete , 1201,
or 1301 end delete of the Elections Code begin insert , end insert provided there are at least 88 days
before the election.

(b) Prior to approving the submission to the voters of a proposal
to adopt a charter, the governing body shall hold at least two public
hearings on the matter of the proposal of a charter and the content
of the proposed charter. Notice of the public hearings shall be
given by publication pursuant to Section 6066, in a newspaper
designated by the governing body and circulated throughout the
city, and by posting the notice in three public places within the
jurisdiction at least 21 calendar days prior to the date of each public
hearing. The second public hearing shall be held at least 30 days
after the first public hearing. At least one of the public hearings
shall be held outside of normal business hours to facilitate public
participation. The governing body shall not conduct a vote on
whether to approve the submission to the voters of the proposal
to adopt a charter until 21 days after the second public hearing.