BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
AB 350 (Alejo) - District-based municipal elections:
preapproval hearings
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|Version: June 1, 2016 |Policy Vote: E. & C.A. 4 - 1 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: Yes |
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|Hearing Date: August 1, 2016 |Consultant: Robert Ingenito |
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This bill may meet the criteria for referral to the Suspense
File.
Bill
Summary: AB 350 would require a political subdivision that
changes to, or establishes, district-based elections to hold
public hearings before and after drawing a preliminary map or
maps of the proposed district boundaries, as specified.
Fiscal
Impact: Costs for districts to hold the required public hearings
would be state reimbursable, and statewide costs would depend on
the number of governments changing to district-based elections.
Costs would be minimized to the extent the public hearings are
consolidated with regularly-scheduled meetings of the governing
body. Overall, annual state costs are unknown, and could exceed
$50,000 in a given year (General Fund).
AB 350 (Alejo) Page 1 of
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Background: The California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) prohibits an at-large
method of election from being imposed or applied in a political
subdivision in a manner that impairs the ability of a protected
class of voters to elect the candidate of its choice or to
influence the outcome of an election, as a result of the
dilution or the abridgement of the rights of voters who are
members of the protected class. Approximately 130 local
government bodies have transitioned from at-large to
district-based elections since the enactment of the CVRA.
Proposed Law:
This bill would, among other things, do the following:
Require a political subdivision that changes from an
at-large method of election to a district-based election,
or that establishes district-based elections, do all of the
following before a public hearing at which the governing
body of the political subdivision votes to approve or
defeat a proposal to establish the district boundaries of
the political subdivision:
o Before drawing a draft map or maps of the
proposed boundaries of the districts, the political
subdivision shall hold at least two public hearings,
as specified.
o After all draft maps are drawn, the political
subdivision shall release at least one draft map and,
if members of the governing body of a political
subdivision will be elected in their districts at
different times to provide for staggered terms of
office, the potential sequence of the elections. The
political subdivision shall also hold at least two
additional hearings over a period of no more than 45
days, as specified.
Provide that in determining the final sequence of the
district elections conducted in a political subdivision in
which members of the governing body will be elected at
different times to provide for staggered terms of office,
AB 350 (Alejo) Page 2 of
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the governing body shall give special consideration to the
purposes of the CVRA, and shall take into account the
preferences expressed by members of the districts.
Staff
Comments: Because the bill would impose additional duties on
local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local
program. Total costs are unknown, but could exceed $50,000 in a
given year.
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