California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 971

Introduced by Assembly Member Chang

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Travis Allen and Harper)

(Coauthors: Senators Bates and Nguyen)

February 26, 2015

An act to amend Section 13001 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 971, as introduced, Chang. Payment of expenses.

Existing law requires all expenses authorized and necessarily incurred to prepare for and conduct an election to be paid from the county treasuries, except as otherwise provided.

This bill would require expenses authorized and necessarily incurred to prepare for and conduct certain vacancy elections to be paid by the state, as specified.

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.  

Section 13001 of the Elections Code is amended
to read:

13001.  

begin delete All end delete begin insert (a) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert Except as provided in subdivision (b), all end insert
expenses authorized and necessarily incurred in the preparation
for, and conduct of, elections as provided in this code shall be paid
from the county treasuries, except that when an election is called
by the governing body of a city the expenses shall be paid from
the treasury of the city. All payments begin insert under this subdivision end insert shall
be made in the same manner as other county or city expenditures
are made. begin delete The end delete

begin insert

(b) (1) All expenses authorized and necessarily incurred on or
after January 1, 2015, in preparation for, and conduct of, elections
called by the Governor to fill a vacancy in the following offices
shall be paid by the state:

end insert begin insert

(A) State Senator.

end insert begin insert

(B) Member of the Assembly.

end insert begin insert

(C) United States Senator.

end insert begin insert

(D) Member of the United States House of Representatives.

end insert begin insert

(2) If a vacancy election for an office specified in this
subdivision is consolidated with a statewide or local election, only
those additional expenses directly related to the vacancy election
shall be paid by the state.

end insert

begin insert (c) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert The end insert elections official, in providing the materials required
by this division, need not utilize the services of the county or city
purchasing agent.