BILL NUMBER: AB 609	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 22, 2015

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Cristina Garcia

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2015

   An act to add Section 8020.5 to the Elections Code,   and
to amend   Section 85601 of the Government Code,
  relating to elections.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 609, as amended, Cristina Garcia. Members of the Legislature:
residency.
   The California Constitution requires that a person reside within
the legislative district for which he or she seeks election as a
Member of the Legislature for one year immediately preceding the
election.
   This bill would permit a candidate for Member of the Legislature
to file a statement with the Secretary of State in which the
candidate voluntarily agrees that, if elected, he or she will
continue to reside within the district from which he or she was
elected during his or her term of office.  This 
 The  bill would require the Secretary of State to designate
in the state ballot pamphlet those candidates who have voluntarily
agreed to this continuing residency requirement. 
   The Political Reform Act of 1974 authorizes a candidate for State
Senate or Assembly who accepts certain voluntary expenditure limits
to purchase the space to place a statement in the voter information
portion of the sample ballot that does not exceed 250 words.
 
   This bill would additionally require a candidate for State Senate
or Assembly to file the voluntary statement described above in order
to purchase the space to place a statement in the sample ballot.
 
   The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides
that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes
upon a 2/3 vote of each house and compliance with specified
procedural requirements.  
   This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.

   Vote:  2/3   majority  . Appropriation:
no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature hereby finds and declares that, in
order to ensure that Members of the Legislature adequately and
effectively represent their constituents, those elected to the
Legislature should continue to reside in the districts that they are
elected to represent during their terms of office.
  SEC. 2.  Section 8020.5 is added to the Elections Code, to read:
   8020.5.  (a) A candidate for Member of the Legislature may file a
statement with the Secretary of State in which the candidate
voluntarily agrees that, if elected, he or she will continue to
reside within the district from which he or she was elected during
his or her term of office. A person does not violate the voluntary
agreement if, after being elected for a term of office, the
boundaries of the district from which he or she was elected are
changed during that term of office so as to exclude his or her
residence from the district.
   (b) If a candidate for Member of the Legislature elects to file
the voluntary statement of continuing residency pursuant to
subdivision (a), the statement shall be filed with his or her
nomination documents.
   (c) The Secretary of State shall designate in the state ballot
pamphlet those candidates for Member of the Legislature who have
voluntarily agreed to the continuing residency requirement set forth
in this section. 
  SEC. 3.    Section 85601 of the Government Code is
amended to read:
   85601.  (a) A candidate for statewide elective office, as defined
in Section 82053, who accepts the voluntary expenditure limits set
forth in Section 85400 may purchase the space to place a statement in
the state ballot pamphlet that does not exceed 250 words. The
statement may not make any reference to any opponent of the
candidate. The statement shall be submitted in accordance with
timeframes and procedures set forth by the Secretary of State for the
preparation of the state ballot pamphlets.
   (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (e) of Section 88001 of this code
or subdivision (e) of Section 9084 of the Elections Code, the
Secretary of State may not include in the state ballot pamphlet a
statement from a candidate who has not voluntarily agreed to the
expenditure limitations set forth in Section 85400.
   (c) A candidate for State Senate or Assembly who accepts the
voluntary expenditure limits set forth in Section 85400 of this code
and files the voluntary statement described in Section 8020.5 of the
Elections Code may purchase the space to place a statement in the
voter information portion of the sample ballot that does not exceed
250 words. The statement may not make any reference to any opponent
of the candidate. The statement shall be submitted in accordance with
the timeframes and procedures set forth in the Elections Code for
the preparation of the voter information portion of the sample
ballot.  
  SEC. 4.    The Legislature finds and declares that
this bill furthers the purposes of the Political Reform Act of 1974
within the meaning of subdivision (a) of Section 81012 of the
Government Code.