BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                     AB 609


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          Date of Hearing:  May 13, 2015


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                                 Jimmy Gomez, Chair


          AB  
          609 (Cristina Garcia) - As Amended April 22, 2015


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          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  NoReimbursable:  No


          SUMMARY:


          This bill:


          1)Allows a candidate for the State Senate or State Assembly to  








                                                                     AB 609


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            file with the Secretary of State (SOS), along with their  
            nomination documents, a statement that, if elected, he or she  
            voluntarily agree to continue residing in their district  
            throughout their term of office.


          2)Requires the SOS to designate in the state ballot pamphlet  
            those candidates who have filed the above statement.


          FISCAL EFFECT:


          1)Minor GF one-time cost (under $50,000) for the SOS to create  
            the residency statement and design the inclusion of candidates  
            in the ballot pamphlet.


          2)Ongoing GF printing costs of $55,000 to add one page to the  
            ballot pamphlet listing the candidates who have filed the  
            residency statement.


          COMMENTS:


          1)Purpose. According to the author, "Current law requires a  
            candidate for the California Legislature to live within the  
            district they intend to represent. However, there is no  
            requirement that they must continue to reside there, once  
            elected.  Voters have the right to know if the person they  
            elected intends on living amongst their constituents.  AB 609  
            creates a designation for those who wish to voluntarily  
            declare that they will continue to reside within their  
            district."


          2)Current Law. Article IV, Section 2 of the California  
            Constitution provides that a person is ineligible to be a  








                                                                     AB 609


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            member of the Legislature in part unless the person has been a  
            resident of the legislative district for one year and a  
            resident of California for three years immediately preceding  
            the election.  The SOS has long held that these requirements  
            are unconstitutional, however, and as a result it is not  
            enforced.  Moreover, existing law does not explicitly require  
            a Member of the Legislature to reside in his or her district  
            for the duration of his or her term of office.


          Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081