BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 609 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 13, 2015 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Jimmy Gomez, Chair AB 609 (Cristina Garcia) - As Amended April 22, 2015 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Elections and Redistricting |Vote:|7 - 0 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Page 2 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 Page 3 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