AB 1100, Low. Ballot initiatives: filing fees.
Existing law requires a fee of $200 to be paid by the proponents when a proposed ballot initiative or referendum is submitted to the Attorney General for preparation of a circulating title and summary.
This bill would increase the filing fee from $200 to $2,000. The bill would also make nonsubstantive changes to this provision.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 9001 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
(a) Before the circulation of an initiative or referendum petition for signatures, the text of the proposed measure shall be submitted to the Attorney General with a written request that a circulating title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure be prepared. The electors presenting the request shall be known as the “proponents.” The Attorney General shall preserve the written request until after the next general election.
(b) Each and every proponent of a proposed initiative measure shall, at the time of submitting the text of the proposed measure, provide both of the following:
(1) An original signed certification stating that “I, (insert name), declare under penalty of perjury that I am a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or older, and a resident of (insert county), California.”
(2) Public contact information.
(c) The proponents of a proposed initiative measure, at the time of submitting the text of the proposed measure to the Attorney General, shall pay a fee to the Attorney General of two thousand dollars ($2,000) that shall be placed in a trust fund in the office of the Treasurer and refunded to the proponents if the measure qualifies for the ballot within two years from the date the summary is furnished to the proponents. If the measure does not qualify within that period, the fee shall be immediately paid into the General Fund of the state.
(d) All referenda and proposed initiative measures must be submitted to the Attorney General’s Initiative Coordinator located in the Sacramento Attorney General’s Office via U.S. Postal Service, alternative mail service, or personal delivery. Only printed documents will be accepted; facsimile or email delivery will not be accepted.
(e) The Attorney General’s office shall not deem a request for a circulating title and summary submitted until all of the requirements of this section are met.
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