BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                     AB 120


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          (Without Reference to File)





          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS


          AB  
          120 (Committee on Budget)


          As Amended  April 21, 2016


          Majority vote


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          |ASSEMBLY:  |      | March 23,     |SENATE: |36-0  |(April 28, 2016) |
          |           |51-27 |2015           |        |      |                 |
          |           |      |               |        |      |                 |
          |           |      |               |        |      |                 |
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          Original Committee Reference:  BUDGET




          SUMMARY:  Amends the 2015-16 Budget Act to provide the Secretary  
          of State an additional $16.3 million for unexpected costs  
          related to the 2016 elections.  Specifically this bill:




             1)   Appropriates $16,288,000 for local county voter  
               registrar offices to request assistance for costs incurred  
               between April 26, 2016 and June 7, 2016.








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             2)   Instructs the Controller to not exceed the reimbursement  
               authorized by a formula created by the Secretary of State  
               based upon the total number of signatures submitted to the  
               requesting county.




             3)   Requires counties to meet the following requirements to  
               receive reimbursement:


                  a.        Comply with existing State law regarding  
                    election precinct size and formation for the June 7,  
                    2016 election;

                  b.        Meet existing State law requirements for the  
                    demonstration for all statewide petition filed in the  
                    county before May 20, 2016; and,

                  c.        Prepare a cost report to the Controller with  
                    supporting documentation.



             4)   Appropriates $115,000 of the total funding for the  
               Secretary of the State operations costs associated with  
               this effort.

          The Senate amendments replace the language of the Assembly  
          version.



          FISCAL EFFECT:  This budgetary augmentation results in a $16.3  
          million General Fund cost.

          COMMENTS:  This amendment to the 2015-16 Budget Act responds to  








                                                                     AB 120


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          an urgent request for resources is the result of a confluence of  
          two events.  First, the hotly-contested Presidential primary is  
          expected to generate record turnout on June 7, 2016, straining  
          the resources of county voter registrars.  Simultaneously, these  
          offices are processing the petitions of ballot initiatives for  
          the November 2016 ballot, which is expected to have a large  
          number of initiatives for consideration. 

          Analysis Prepared by:                                             
                          Christian Griffith / BUDGET / (916) 319-2099   
          FN: 0002786