Amended in Senate July 13, 2015

Amended in Assembly April 22, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 609

Introduced by Assembly Member Cristina Garcia

February 24, 2015

An act to add Section 8020.5 to the Elections 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. The bill would begin delete require end delete begin insert authorize end insert the Secretary of State to begin delete designate in the state ballot pamphlet those candidates who have voluntarily agreed to this continuing residency requirement. end delete begin insert post on his or her Internet Web site voluntary statements of continuing residency filed with the secretary, as described above end insert begin insert . end insert

Vote: 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 begin delete 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. end delete begin insert may post on his or her Internet Web site
voluntary statements of continuing residency filed pursuant to
subdivision (a). end insert