BILL ANALYSIS
AB 394
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 394 (Fuentes)
As Amended April 13, 2009
Majority vote
ELECTIONS 7-0 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Fong, Adams, Bill |Ayes:|De Leon, Ammiano, Charles |
| |Berryhill, Coto, Mendoza, | |Calderon, Davis, Fuentes, |
| |Saldana, Swanson | |Hall, John A. Perez, |
| | | |Price, Skinner, Solorio, |
| | | |Torlakson, Krekorian |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+---------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Nielsen, Duvall, Harkey, |
| | | |Miller, |
| | | |Audra Strickland |
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SUMMARY : Requires the Governor to appoint a task force to make
recommendations on how to maximize the number of Californians
counted in the 2010 Census and to implement a census outreach
program, taking into account the successes and problems with the
2000 California Complete Count Campaign.
EXISTING LAW , pursuant to the United States Constitution,
requires a census of the United States population be taken once
every 10 years.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, depending on the tenure of the task force, one-time
GF costs would probably be in the range of $50,000 to $75,000
for staff support and other related expenses.
COMMENTS : According to the author, "The 2010 Census represents
a once-a-decade chance for California to conduct a complete
count of its citizens. Census results dictate federal
representation, federal and state funding formulas, and state
redistricting changes. We need to ensure that California does
everything it can to enact an accurate count, building on our
previous successes and acknowledging the challenges that are
still present."
AB 394
Page 2
The 2008-09 Budget Act contained a $1 million appropriation to
the Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) for the
Count Every Californian Effort, aimed at ensuring California is
fully and accurately represented in the 2010 Census and receives
all of the federal funds and Congressional representatives to
which it is entitled. OPR has since formed a state agency
working group to identify outreach efforts using existing state
agency resources. According to OPR, although the Governor has
not yet appointed a California Complete Count Committee to work
with the United States Census Bureau for the 2010 Census, such a
committee is in the process of being formed.
While this bill proposes the creation of a task force to
maximize the number of Californians counted in the 2010 Census,
it does not specify the number or type of members that should
serve on the task force, when the appointments are to be made,
to whom recommendations are to be made and by what date, or the
date for the task force to complete its work.
This bill is identical to AB 2314 (Fuentes) of 2008. AB 2314
was referred to the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee
but was never heard in committee.
ACR 123 (Fuentes) of 2008 would have strongly urged the Governor
to act immediately to commence planning for outreach efforts for
the 2010 decennial Census so as to achieve a complete count of
all Californians. ACR 123 was approved by the Assembly on a
75-2 vote, but died in the Senate Appropriations Committee
without having a hearing.
SB 711 (Burton), Chapter 86, Statutes of 1999, requested the
Governor to appoint a task force to make recommendations on how
to maximize the number of California's counted in the 2000
Census and to implement a census outreach program, among other
provisions.
Analysis Prepared by : Ethan Jones / E. & R. / (916) 319-2094
FN: 0001137