Amended in Assembly March 25, 2014

Amended in Assembly March 17, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1446

Introduced by Assembly Member Mullin

January 6, 2014

An act to amend Sections 2138.5, 2146, 2157, 2158, 2159.5, 2194, 2194.1, 18108.5, and 18109 of the Elections Code, and to amend Sections 6254.4 and 6276.46 of the Government Code, relating to elections.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1446, as amended, Mullin. Voter registration: personal information.

(1) Existing law permits a citizen or organization to distribute voter registration cards anywhere in the applicable county. Existing law requires a county elections official to provide voter registration cards in sufficient quantities to any citizen or organization that begin delete wish end delete begin insert wishes end insert to distribute the cards, except as specified. If, after completing his or her voter registration affidavit, an elector entrusts it to another person, existing law requires the latter person to comply with specified requirements.

This bill would require an individual or organization that distributes voter registration cards, a person entrusted with an affidavit of registration from an elector, or an individual or organization that assists with the submission of an affidavit of registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State to comply with specified requirements relating to the voter registration information. This bill would require an individual or organization that distributes voter registration cards to obtain the cards from the county elections official or the Secretary of State. This bill would require an individual or organization to comply with all applicable regulations established by the Secretary of State when distributing the cards.

(2) Existing law provides that the driver’s license number, identification card number, and social security number contained on an affidavit of registration are confidential and shall not be disclosed by an individual or organization that distributes voter registration cards or by a person entrusted with an affidavit of registration by an elector.

This bill would provide that the signature contained on begin delete a end delete begin insert an end insert affidavit is also confidential and shall not be disclosed.

(3) The Student Voter Registration Act of 2003 requires the Secretary of State to annually provide every high school, community college, and California State University and University of California campus with voter registration forms. The act requires the number of forms provided to be consistent with the number of students enrolled at each school who are of voting age or will be of voting age by the end of the year. The act also requires every community college and California State University campus that operates an automated class registration system, or within two years of implementing such a system, to permit students, through an automated program in coordination with the Secretary of State, to elect to receive during the class registration process a voter registration form that is preprinted with personal information relevant to voter registration. The act encourages the University of California to comply with that provision.

This bill would eliminate the requirement that the number of voter registration forms provided by the Secretary of State be consistent with the number of students enrolled at each school. This bill would require each community college and California State University campus that operates an automated class registration system, as specified, to permit students, during the class registration process, to apply to register to vote online by submitting an affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State. This bill would encourage the University of California to comply with these provisions. This bill would state that it is the intent of the Legislature that every eligible high school and college student receive a meaningful opportunity to apply to register to vote.

(4) Existing law permits a county elections official to provide affidavits of registration and voter registration cards online, as specified. Existing law requires the Secretary of State, in consultation with county elections officials, to design and make available on his or her Internet Web site an affidavit of registration that meets specified requirements. Existing law requires affidavits of registration that are made available on the Internet Web site of a county or of the Secretary of State to be available for individual use only and not for use by organizations seeking to register people to vote.

This bill would delete these provisions. This bill instead would prohibit an affidavit of registration from being submitted electronically on a county’s Internet Web site, but would permit a county to provide a hyperlink on the county’s Internet Web site to the Secretary of State’s electronic voter registration system.

(5) Existing law requires a person, company, or other organization that agrees to pay money or other valuable consideration to a person who assists another person to register to vote by receiving the completed affidavit of registration to comply with specified conditions, including maintaining a list certain compensation-related information. Existing law makes violation of this provision a misdemeanor.

This bill would require a person, company, or other organization that agrees to pay money or other valuable begin delete conditions end delete begin insert consideration end insert to a person who assists another person to register to vote by assisting with the submission of an affidavit of registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State to comply begin delete to end delete begin insert with end insert those specified conditions. This bill would make begin insert a end insert violation of this provision a misdemeanor. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(6) Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for a person in possession of voter registration information obtained pursuant to specified provisions of law knowingly to use or permit the use of all or any part of that information for any purpose other than as permitted by law.

This bill would make this provision applicable to a person in possession of voter registration information identified in a specified provision of law. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(7) Existing law makes it a misdemeanor for a person knowingly to acquire possession or use of voter registration information obtained pursuant to specified provisions of law without first complying with specified application requirements.

This bill would instead make it a misdemeanor for a person knowingly to acquire possession of or use voter registration information obtained from the Secretary of State or a county elections official without first complying with specified application requirements. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(8) Under existing law, a person may not be registered to vote except by affidavit of registration. Existing law requires the affidavit of registration to show specified information concerning the affiant. Existing law provides for an affidavit of registration to be included on a multipart card, to be known as a voter registration card. Existing law imposes specified requirements on voter registration cards. Existing law, operative when the Secretary of State certifies that the state has a statewide voter registration database that complies with the requirements of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 or executes a declaration stating that certain conditions have occurred, authorizes a person to submit an affidavit of voter registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State.

This bill would make specified requirements imposed on voter registration cards relating to affidavit of registration information applicable to all affidavits of registration.

(9) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 2138.5 of the Elections Code is amended
to read:

2138.5.  

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, an affiant’s driver’s
license number, identification card number, social security number,
and signature contained on an affidavit of registration are
confidential and shall not be disclosed by an individual or
organization that distributes voter registration cards pursuant to
subdivision (b) of Section 2158, or by a person entrusted with an
affidavit of registration from an elector pursuant to paragraph (2)
of subdivision (b) of Section 2158. However, this subdivision shall
not be construed to prohibit a person entrusted with an affidavit
of registration from an elector pursuant to paragraph (2) of
subdivision (b) of Section 2158 from returning the affidavit to the
individual or organization that distributed the voter registration
card pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 2158.

(b) An individual or organization that distributes voter
registration cards pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 2158, a
person entrusted with an affidavit of registration from an elector
pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) of Section 2158, or
an individual or organization that assists with the submission of
an affidavit of registration electronically on the Internet Web site
of the Secretary of State shall comply begin insert with end insert both of the following:

(1) Shall not use begin delete the end delete affidavit of registration information for
any personal, private, or commercial purpose, including for any
of the following:

(A) The harassment of a voter or voter’s household.

(B) The advertising, solicitation, sale, or marketing of products
or services to a voter or voter’s household.

(C) Reproduction in print, broadcast visual or audio, or display
on the Internet.

(2) Shall employ reasonable security measures, including
employing administrative and physical safeguards, and, for
affidavit of registration information available in an electronic form,
technical safeguards, to protect the voter registration information
from unlawful disclosure and misuse.

SEC. 2.  

Section 2146 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

2146.  

(a) The Secretary of State shall annually provide every
high school, community college, and California State University
and University of California campus with voter registration forms.
The Secretary of State shall provide additional forms to a school,
free of charge, if so requested by a school.

(b) The Secretary of State shall provide a written notice with
each registration form describing eligibility requirements and
informing each student that he or she may return the completed
form in person or by mail to the elections official of the county in
which the student resides or to the Secretary of State.

(c) (1) (A) Every community college and California State
University campus that operates an automated class registration
system on or before January 1, 2008, shall, through an automated
program, in coordination with the Secretary of State, permit
students, during the class registration process, to apply to register
to vote online by submitting an affidavit of voter registration
electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State.

(B) A community college or California State University campus
that does not operate an automated class registration system on or
before January 1, 2008, shall, within two years of implementing
an automated class registration system, through an automated
program in coordination with the Secretary of State, permit
students, during the class registration process, to apply to register
to vote online by submitting an affidavit of voter registration
electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State.

(2) As soon as a community college or California State
University or University of California campus complies with
paragraph (1), the Secretary of State may continue, at his or her
discretion, to provide the campus with voter registration forms
unless the campus requests not to receive the voter registration
forms.

(3) The University of California is encouraged to comply with
this subdivision.

(d) The Secretary of State shall submit to the Legislature, on or
before January 1 of each year, a report on its student voter
registration efforts pursuant to this article. This report shall include
estimates as to how many voter registration forms were sent to
high schools, community colleges, and California State University
and University of California campuses; how many voter registration
forms were submitted; and how many electronic affidavits of voter
registration begin delete forms end delete were submitted by students pursuant to
subdivision (c).

(e) It is the intent of the Legislature that every eligible high
school and college student receive a meaningful opportunity to
apply to register to vote. It is also the intent of the Legislature that
every school do all in its power to ensure that students are provided
the opportunity and means to apply to register to vote. This may
include providing voter registration forms at the start of the school
year, including voter registration forms with orientation materials;
placing voter registration forms at central locations, including voter
registration forms with graduation materials; or providing
hyperlinks to, begin delete or end delete begin insert and end insert the Internet Web site address of, the Secretary
of State’s electronic voter registration system in notices sent by
electronic mail to students and placed on the Internet Web site of
the high school, college, or university.

SEC. 3.  

Section 2157 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

2157.  

(a) Subject to this chapter, the paper affidavit of
registration shall be in a form prescribed by regulations adopted
by the Secretary of State. The affidavit shall comply with all of
the following:

(1) Contain the information prescribed in Section 2150.

(2) Be sufficiently uniform among the separate counties to allow
for the processing and use by one county of an affidavit completed
in another county.

(3) Allow for the inclusion of informational language to meet
the specific needs of that county, including, but not limited to, the
return address of the elections official in that county, and a
telephone number at which a voter can obtain elections information
in that county.

(4) Be included on one portion of a multipart card, to be known
as a voter registration card, the other portions of which shall include
information sufficient to facilitate completion and mailing of the
affidavit. The affidavit portion of the multipart card shall be
numbered according to regulations adopted by the Secretary of
State. For purposes of facilitating the distribution of voter
registration cards as provided in Section 2158, there shall be
attached to the affidavit portion a receipt. The receipt shall be
separated from the body of the affidavit by a perforated line.

(5) Contain, in a type size and color of ink that is clearly
distinguishable from surrounding text, a statement identical or
substantially similar to the following:

“Certain voters facing life-threatening situations may qualify
for confidential voter status. For more information, please contact
the Secretary of State’s Safe At Home program or visit the
Secretary of State’s Web site.”

(6) Contain, in a type size and color of ink that is clearly
distinguishable from surrounding text, a statement that the use of
voter registration information for commercial purposes is a
misdemeanor pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 2194 and
Section 18109, and any suspected misuse shall be reported to the
Secretary of State.

(7) Contain a toll-free fraud hotline telephone number
maintained by the Secretary of State that the public may use to
report suspected fraudulent activity concerning misuse of voter
registration information.

(8) Be returnable to the county elections official as a
self-enclosed mailer with postage prepaid by the Secretary of State.

(b) Nothing contained in this division shall prevent the use of
voter registration cards and affidavits of registration in existence
on the effective date of this section and produced pursuant to
regulations of the Secretary of State, and all references to voter
registration cards and affidavits in this division shall be applied to
the existing voter registration cards and affidavits of registration.

(c) The Secretary of State may continue to supply existing
affidavits of registration prior to printing new or revised forms
that reflect the changes required pursuant to this section, Section
2150, or Section 2160.

(d)  An affidavit of registration shall not be submitted
electronically on a county’s Internet Web site. However, a county
may provide a hyperlink on the county’s Internet Web site to the
Secretary of State’s electronic voter registration system.

SEC. 4.  

Section 2158 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

2158.  

In addition to registration conducted by deputy registrars
of voters, the county elections official shall do all of the following:

(a) Provide voter registration cards designed pursuant to
subdivision (a) of Section 2157 for the registration of voters at his
or her office and in a sufficient number of locations throughout
the county for the convenience of persons desiring to register, to
the end that registration may be maintained at a high level. The
cards shall be available in all languages required by Section 203
(42 U.S.C. Sec. 1973aa-1a) or Section 4(f)(4) (42 U.S.C. Sec.
1973b(f)(4)) of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.

(b) Provide voter registration cards designed pursuant to
subdivision (a) of Section 2157 in sufficient quantities to any
individuals or organizations that wish to distribute the cards other
than to persons who have been convicted of violating this section
within the last five years. Individuals and organizations shall be
permitted to distribute voter registration cards anywhere within
the county.

(1) An individual or organization that distributes voter
registration cards designed pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section
2157 shall obtain the voter registration cards from the county
elections official or the Secretary of State. The individual or
organization shall comply with all applicable regulations
established by the Secretary of State when distributing the cards.

(2) If, after completing his or her voter registration card, an
elector entrusts it to another person, the latter shall sign and date
the attached, numbered receipt indicating his or her address and
telephone number, if any, and give the receipt to the elector. Failure
to comply with this paragraph shall not cause the invalidation of
the registration of a voter.

(3) An individual or organization that distributes voter
registration cards designed pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section
2157 shall give a voter registration card to any elector requesting
it, provided that the begin delete citizen end delete begin insert individual end insert or organization has a
sufficient number of cards.

(4) If distribution of voter registration cards pursuant to this
subdivision is undertaken by mailing cards to persons who have
not requested the cards, the person mailing the cards shall enclose
a cover letter or other notice with each card instructing the
recipients to disregard the cards if they are currently registered
voters.

(c) Mail a voter registration card immediately to a person who
wishes to register to vote and requests a voter registration card.

SEC. 5.  

Section 2159.5 of the Elections Code is amended to
read:

2159.5.  

A person, company, or other organization that agrees
to pay money or other valuable consideration, whether on a
per-affidavit basis or otherwise, to a person who assists another
person to register to vote by receiving the completed affidavit of
registration or by assisting with the submission of an affidavit of
registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary
of State, shall do all of the following:

(a) Maintain a list of the names, addresses, and telephone
numbers of all individuals that the person, company, or other
organization has agreed to compensate for assisting others to
register to vote, and shall provide to each person receiving that
consideration a written statement of that person’s personal
responsibilities and liabilities under Sections 2138, 2138.5, 2139,
2150, 2158, 2159, 18100, 18101, 18103, 18106, 18108, 18108.1,
and 18108.5. Receipt of the written statement shall be
acknowledged, in writing, by the person receiving the
consideration, and the acknowledgment shall be kept by the person,
company, or organization that agrees to compensate that person.
All records required by this subdivision shall be maintained for a
minimum of three years, and shall be made available to the
elections official, the Secretary of State, or an appropriate
prosecuting agency, upon demand. As an alternate to maintaining
the records required by this subdivision, the records may be filed
with the county elections official, who shall retain those records
for a minimum of three years. The county elections official may
charge a fee, not to exceed actual costs, for storing records pursuant
to this subdivision.

(b) Not render any payment or promised consideration unless
the information specified in Section 2159 has been affixed
personally on the affidavit in the handwriting of the person with
whom the agreement for payment was made.

(c) At the time of submission of paper affidavits to an elections
official, identify and separate those affidavits into groups that do
and that do not comply with the requirements of Sections 2150
and 2159. A signed acknowledgment shall be attached to each
group of affidavits identifying a group as in compliance with
Sections 2150 and 2159, and a group as not in compliance with
either Section 2150 or 2159, or both.

(d) Failure to comply with this section shall not cause the
invalidation of the registration of the voter.

SEC. 6.  

Section 2194 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

2194.  

(a) Except as provided in Section 2194.1, the affidavit
of voter registration information identified in Section 6254.4 of
the Government Code:

(1) Shall be confidential and shall not appear on any computer
terminal, list, affidavit, duplicate affidavit, or other medium
routinely available to the public at the county elections official’s
office.

(2) Shall not be used for any personal, private, or commercial
purpose, including, but not limited to:

(A) The harassment of any voter or voter’s household.

(B) The advertising, solicitation, sale, or marketing of products
or services to any voter or voter’s household.

(C) Reproduction in print, broadcast visual or audio, or display
on the Internet or any computer terminal unless pursuant to
paragraph (3).

(3) Shall be provided with respect to any voter, subject to the
provisions of Sections 2166.5, 2166.7, and 2188, to any candidate
for federal, state, or local office, to any committee for or against
any initiative or referendum measure for which legal publication
is made, and to any person for election, scholarly, journalistic, or
political purposes, or for governmental purposes, as determined
by the Secretary of State.

(b) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, the California driver’s
license number, the California identification card number, the
social security number, and any other unique identifier used by
the State of California for purposes of voter identification shown
on the begin insert affidavit of end insert voter registration begin delete card end delete of a registered voter, or
added to voter registration records to comply with the requirements
of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. Sec.
15301 et seq.), are confidential and shall not be disclosed to any
person.

(2) Notwithstanding any other law, the signature of the voter
shown on the begin insert affidavit of end insert voter registration begin delete card end delete is confidential and
shall not be disclosed to any person, except as provided in
subdivision (c).

(c) (1) The home address or signature of any voter shall be
released whenever the person’s vote is challenged pursuant to
Sections 15105 to 15108, inclusive, or Article 3 (commencing
with Section 14240) of Chapter 3 of Division 14. The address or
signature shall be released only to the challenger, to elections
officials, and to other persons as necessary to make, defend against,
or adjudicate the challenge.

(2) An elections official shall permit a person to view the
signature of a voter for the purpose of determining whether the
signature matches a signature on an affidavit of registration or a
petition, but shall not permit a signature to be copied.

(d) A governmental entity, or officer or employee thereof, shall
not be held civilly liable as a result of disclosure of the information
referred to in this section, unless by a showing of gross negligence
or willfulness.

(e) For the purposes of this section, “voter’s household” is
defined as the voter’s place of residence or mailing address or any
persons who reside at the place of residence or use the mailing
address as supplied on the affidavit of registration pursuant to
paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 2150.

SEC. 7.  

Section 2194.1 of the Elections Code is amended to
read:

2194.1.  

Any affidavit of registration information identified in
Section 6254.4 of the Government Code in existence 100 years
after the creation of the record shall be available to the public. If
records are contained in the great registers of voters and the bound
register contains information covering more than one year, the
records shall not be available to the public until the entire contents
of the register have been recorded for at least 100 years.

SEC. 8.  

Section 18108.5 of the Elections Code is amended to
read:

18108.5.  

(a)  A person, company, or other organization that
agrees to pay money or other valuable consideration, whether on
a per-affidavit basis or otherwise, to a person who assists another
person to register to vote by receiving the completed affidavit of
registration, or by assisting with the submission of an affidavit of
registration electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary
of State, who fails to comply with Section 2159.5, is guilty of a
misdemeanor, and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one
thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail
not exceeding six months or when the failure to comply is found
to be willful, not exceeding one year, or both.

(b)  A person, company, or other organization that agrees to pay
money or other valuable consideration, whether on a per-affidavit
basis or otherwise, to a person who assists another person to
register to vote by receiving the completed affidavit of registration,
or by assisting with the submission of an affidavit of registration
electronically on the Internet Web site of the Secretary of State,
upon a third or subsequent conviction, on charges brought and
separately tried, for failure to comply with Section 2159.5 shall
be punished by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000),
or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed one year, or
both.

(c) An elections official shall notify a person, company, or other
organization that agrees to pay money or other valuable
consideration, whether on a per-affidavit basis or otherwise, to a
person who assists another person to register to vote by receiving
the completed affidavit of registration or by assisting with the
submission of an affidavit of registration electronically on the
Internet Web site of the Secretary of State, that three or more
affidavits of registration submitted by a person who assisted
another to register to vote do not comply with Sections 18100,
18101, 18103, or 18106. The elections official may forward a copy
of each of the noncomplying affidavits of registration to the district
attorney, who may make a determination whether probable cause
exists to believe that a violation of law has occurred.

(d) This section shall not apply to a public agency or its
employees that is designated as a voter registration agency pursuant
to the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C.
Sec. 1973gg et seq.), when an elector asks for assistance to register
to vote during the course and scope of the agency’s normal
business.

SEC. 9.  

Section 18109 of the Elections Code is amended to
read:

18109.  

(a) It is a misdemeanor for a person in possession of
information identified in Section 2138.5, or obtained pursuant to
Article 5 (commencing with Section 2180) of Chapter 2 of Division
2 of this code or Section 6254.4 of the Government Code,
knowingly to use or permit the use of all or any part of that
information for any purpose other than as permitted by law.

(b) It is a misdemeanor for a person knowingly to acquire
possession or use of voter registration information from the
Secretary of State or a county elections official without first
complying with Section 2188.

SEC. 10.  

Section 6254.4 of the Government Code is amended
to read:

6254.4.  

(a) The home address, telephone number, email
address, precinct number, or other number specified by the
Secretary of State for voter registration purposes, and prior
registration information shown on the affidavit of registration, is
confidential and shall not be disclosed to any person, except
pursuant to Section 2194 of the Elections Code.

(b) For purposes of this section, “home address” means street
address only, and does not include an individual’s city or post
office address.

(c) The California driver’s license number, the California
identification card number, the social security number, and any
other unique identifier used by the State of California for purposes
of voter identification shown on an affidavit of registration, or
added to the voter registration records to comply with the
requirements of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42
U.S.C. Sec. 15301 et seq.), are confidential and shall not be
disclosed to any person.

(d) The signature of the voter that is shown on the affidavit of
registration is confidential and shall not be disclosed to any person.

SEC. 11.  

Section 6276.46 of the Government Code is amended
to read:

6276.46.  

Unclaimed property, Controller records of, disclosure,
Section 1582, Code of Civil Procedure.

Unemployment compensation, disclosure of confidential
information, Section 2111, Unemployment Insurance Code.

Unemployment compensation, information obtained in
administration of code, Section 1094, Unemployment Insurance
Code.

Unemployment fund contributions, publication of annual tax
paid, Section 989, Unemployment Insurance Code.

University of California, exemption from disclosure for
information submitted by bidders for award of best value contracts,
Section 10506.6, Public Contract Code.

Unsafe working condition, confidentiality of complainant,
Section 6309, Labor Code.

Use fuel tax information, disclosure prohibited, Section 9255,
Revenue and Taxation Code.

Utility systems development, confidential information,
subdivision (e), Section 6254.

Utility user tax return and payment records, exemption from
disclosure, Section 7284.6, Revenue and Taxation Code.

Vehicle registration, confidentiality of information, Section
4750.4, Vehicle Code.

Vehicle accident reports, disclosure of, Sections 16005, 20012,
and 20014, Vehicle Code and Section 27177, Streets and Highways
Code.

Vehicular offense, record of, confidentiality five years after
conviction, Section 1807.5, Vehicle Code.

Veterans Affairs, Department of, confidentiality of records of
contract purchasers, Section 85, Military and Veterans Code.

Veterinarian or animal health technician, alcohol or dangerous
drugs diversion and rehabilitation records, confidentiality of,
Section 4871, Business and Professions Code.

Victims’ Legal Resource Center, confidentiality of information
and records retained, Section 13897.2, Penal Code.

Voter, affidavit or registration, confidentiality of information
contained in, Section 6254.4.

Voter, registration by confidential affidavit, Section 2194,
Elections Code.

Voting, secrecy, Section 1050, Evidence Code.

Wards and dependent children, inspection of juvenile court
documents, Section 827, Welfare and Institutions Code.

SEC. 12.  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines
that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement
to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.