BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2303
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 26, 2006

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                   Judy Chu, Chair

             AB 2303 (Judiciary Committee) - As Amended:  March 28, 2006 

          Policy Committee:                              JudiciaryVote:9-0  
          (Consent)

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY  

          This omnibus bill makes several changes to various statutes  
          involving the courts and the Department of Justice (DOJ),  
          including:

          1)Stating legislative intent that effective self-help services  
            be made available in every county to assist self-represented  
            parties in civil matters. 

          2)Authorizing electronic submission of notice to appear (NTA)  
            citations for non-parking Vehicle Code violations; requiring  
            electronic NTA citations to include a digitized signature of  
            the defendant; and, exempting electronic NTA citations from  
            existing subscription requirements that apply to the citing  
            officer. 

          3)Authorizing the DOJ to adjust the acceptable manner of payment  
            with regard to charitable fundraisers. 

          4)Requiring every charitable organization to file an initial  
            registration form, and authorizing the Attorney General to  
            adopt rules and regulations as to the contents of the initial  
            registration form. 

          5)Requires each county's courts to create a counsel panel of  
            attorneys qualified for appointment to represent the best  
            interests of a minor in a custody or visitation proceeding and  
            entitles those appointed to quasi-judicial immunity.

          6)Deleting the sunset on the provision authorizing courts to  
            impose monetary sanctions for jurors who fail to appear  








                                                                  AB 2303
                                                                  Page  2

            pursuant to a jury summons.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)Potential significant additional costs for the courts to  
            provide effective self-help services in every county. (The  
            2005-06 Budget Act included provisional language making up to  
            $5 million of funds budgeted for operation of the trial courts  
            available for support services to self-represented litigants.  
            No additional funding was provided for this activity, however.  
            The governor's proposed budget for 2006-07 includes the same  
            provisional language. It is unclear whether this level of  
            spending would be sufficient to meet the intent stated in this  
            bill or whether the courts would need additional resources.  
            The Judicial Council has established a working group on  
            improving self-help services that is expected to report its  
            finding this summer.) 


          2)Absorbable costs for each county to develop a counsel panel. 

          3)Ongoing minor revenue to the courts by continuing the  
            authorization to impose monetary sanctions on jurors who fail  
            to appear. 

          4)Any other costs would be minor and more than offset by  
            increased court efficiencies.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  . Each year, the Legislature identifies various  
          non-controversial changes to statutory law.  This annual "Civil  
          Omnibus" bill is the vehicle for implementing the wholesale  
          corrections.  For inclusion into the measure, the change must be  
          non-controversial only and must not have any opposition.  Among  
          the sponsors of the provisions included in the omnibus bill are:  
           The California Alliance of Paralegal Associations, the Attorney  
          General's Office, the Sierra Club, the California State  
          Sheriff's Association, the Children's Advocacy Institute and the  
          Judicial Council.

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