California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1948

Introduced by Assembly Member Mullin

February 19, 2014

An act to amend Section 13.5 to the Elections Code, and to amend Section 27000.7 of the Government Code, relating to local government.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1948, as introduced, Mullin. Counties: officers: qualification for office.

Existing law prohibits a person from being considered a legally qualified candidate for the offices of county auditor, county district attorney, county sheriff, county superintendent of schools, judge of the superior court, county treasurer, county tax collector, or county treasurer-tax collector, unless the person has filed a declaration of candidacy, nomination paper, or statement of write-in candidacy, accompanied by documentation, as specified, sufficient to establish, in the determination of the official with whom the declaration or statement is filed, that the person meets each qualification established by specified provisions for service in that office.

This bill would extend these requirements to the offices of consolidated director of finance and director of finance of any county. By imposing new duties on local election officials and expanding the crime of perjury, this bill would create a state-mandated local program.

Existing law requires that a person meet at least one of 5 specified criteria to be eligible for election or appointment to the office of county treasurer, county tax collector, or county treasurer-tax collector of any county elected or appointed on or after January 1, 1998.

This bill would extend these requirements to the offices of consolidated director of finance and director of finance of any county. The bill would revise one of the specified criteria, and would change the applicability date from January 1, 1998, to January 1, 2015.

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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

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 13.5 of the Elections Code is amended
to read:

13.5.  

(a) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 13,
no person shall be considered a legally qualified candidate for any
of the offices set forth in subdivision (b) unless that person has
filed a declaration of candidacy, nomination papers, or statement
of write-in candidacy, accompanied by documentation, including,
but not necessarily limited to, certificates, declarations under
penalty of perjury, diplomas, or official correspondence, sufficient
to establish, in the determination of the official with whom the
declaration or statement is filed, that the person meets each
qualification established for service in that office by the provision
referenced in subdivision (b).

(2) The provision of “documentation,” for purposes of
compliance with the requirements of paragraph (1), may include
the submission of either an original, as defined in Section 255 of
the Evidence Code, or a duplicate, as defined in Section 260 of
the Evidence Code.

(b) This section shall be applicable to the following offices and
qualifications therefor:

(1) For the office of county auditor, the qualifications set forth
in Sections 26945 and 26946 of the Government Code.

(2) For the office of county district attorney, the qualifications
set forth in Sections 24001 and 24002 of the Government Code.

(3) For the office of county sheriff, the qualifications set forth
in Section 24004.3 of the Government Code.

(4) For the office of county superintendent of schools, the
qualifications set forth in Sections 1205 to 1208, inclusive, of the
Education Code.

(5) For the office of judge of the superior court, the
qualifications set forth in Section 15 of Article VI of the California
Constitution.

(6) For the office of county treasurer, county tax collector, begin delete or end delete
county treasurer-tax collector begin insert , consolidated director of finance,
or director of finance end insert begin insert of any county end insert , the qualifications set forth in
Section 27000.7 of the Government Code, provided that the board
of supervisors has adopted the provisions of that section pursuant
to Section 27000.6 of the Government Code.

SEC. 2.  

Section 27000.7 of the Government Code is amended
to read:

27000.7.  

(a) No person shall be eligible for election or
appointment to the office of county treasurer, county tax collector,
begin delete or end delete county treasurer-tax collector begin insert , consolidated director of finance,
or director of finance, end insert of any county unless that person begin insert meets the
requirements of end insert begin insert Section 13.5 of the Elections Code and end insert meets at
least one of the following criteria:

(1) The person has served in a senior financial management
position in a county, city, or other public agency dealing with
similar financial responsibilities for a continuous period of not less
than three years, including, but not limited to, treasurer, tax
collector, auditor, auditor-controller, or the chief deputy or an
assistant in those offices.

(2) The person possesses a valid baccalaureate, masters, or
doctoral degree from an accredited college or university in any of
the following major fields of study: business administration, public
administration, economics, finance, accounting, or a related field,
with a minimum of 16 college semester units, or their equivalent,
in accounting, auditing, or finance.

(3) The person possesses a valid certificate issued by the
California Board of Accountancy pursuant to Chapter 1
(commencing with Section 5000) of Division 3 of the Business
and Professions Code, showing that person to be, and a permit
authorizing that person to practice as, a certified public accountant.

(4) The person possesses a valid charter issued by the Institute
of Chartered Financial Analysts showing the person to be
designated a Chartered Financial Analyst, with a minimum of 16
college semester units, or their equivalent, in accounting, auditing,
or finance.

(5) The person possesses a valid certificate issued by the
begin delete Treasury Management end delete Association begin insert for Financial Professionals end insert
showing the person to be designated a Certified begin insert Treasury
Professional end insert Cash Manager, with a minimum of 16 college
semester units, or their equivalent, in accounting, auditing, or
finance.

(b) This section shall only apply to any person duly elected or
appointed as a county treasurer, county tax collector, begin delete or end delete county
treasurer-tax collector begin insert , consolidated director of finance, director
of finance, end insert on or after January 1, begin delete 1998 end delete begin insert 2015 end insert .

SEC. 3.  

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution for certain
costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district
because, in that regard, this act creates a new crime or infraction,
eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime
or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the
Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the
meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California
Constitution.

However, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that
this act contains other 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.