BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    





                                                                  AB 1096

                                                                  Page  1


          GOVERNOR'S VETO
          AB 1096 (Galgiani)
          As Amended  July 23, 2009
          2/3 vote
           
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |77-0 |(June 2, 2009)  |SENATE: |38-0 |(August 27,    |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2009)          |
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |78-0 |(August 31,     |        |     |               |
          |           |     |2009)           |        |     |               |
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          Original Committee Reference:    E. & R.  

           SUMMARY  :  Requires elections officials to provide electronic  
          copies of precinct maps to any interested person.  Specifically,  
           this bill  :

          1)Requires election officials to provide all current precinct  
            boundaries, including detail maps of any subprecinct, if  
            available, and precinct consolidations to any interested  
            person.

          2)Requires that precinct maps and boundary changes and  
            consolidations be made available in both print and electronic  
            forms.  

          3)Requires county elections officials to file copies of all  
            precinct maps following each primary election with the  
            Secretary of State (SOS) and requires the SOS to make them  
            accessible to any person upon request. 

          4)Authorizes the SOS to charge a person requesting information  
            the amount necessary to reimburse the state for actual  
            expenses incurred in providing copies of precinct information  
            to interested persons. 










                                                                  AB 1096

                                                                  Page  2



          5)Requires elections officials to prepare detail maps of  
            precinct boundaries instead of giving elections officials the  
            choice to prepare either maps or exterior descriptions.  

           The Senate amendments  require elections officials to provide  
          detail maps of subprecincts, if available.

           EXISTING LAW  : 

          1)Requires elections officials to prepare either detail maps or  
            exterior descriptions of precincts.

          2)Requires the county elections official to file updated copies  
            of all precinct information with the SOS following each  
            general election.  

          3)Allows the elections official to charge a person requesting  
            information about precinct boundaries the amount needed to  
            reimburse the jurisdiction for the actual expenses incurred in  
            providing copies of precinct information.  

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill was similar to the version  
          approved by the Senate.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Senate Appropriations  
          Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
           
          COMMENTS  :  According to the author, "AB 1096 updates  
          California's Election Code relating to public access to precinct  
          boundary information.  AB 1096 requires election officials to  
          make available to the public information on all precinct  
          boundaries, not just modified boundaries.  It also requires this  
          information include maps and be available in both print and  
          electronic formats.  AB 1096 requires information on precinct  
          boundaries be provided to the Secretary of State after every  
          regularly scheduled statewide election, not just every general  
          election."  
           
          GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE  :











                                                                  AB 1096

                                                                  Page  3


          "This bill would require that elections officials provide  
          electronic copies of precinct maps to any interested person and  
          increases the frequency that these maps must be updated.

          "While I support the author's efforts to increase the  
          availability of detailed precinct maps in electronic format, I  
          believe this will result in additional costs to local  
          governments.  Existing law allows a county to provide this  
          information in electronic format; therefore, a statewide mandate  
          is unnecessary.  I encourage counties to consider implementing  
          the provisions of this bill if their resources allow, but in  
          this time of fiscal constraint, cannot support mandating them to  
          do so." 


           



          Analysis Prepared by:     Qiana Charles / E. & R. / (916)  
          319-2094 



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