California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1980

Introduced by Assembly Member Roger Hernández

February 19, 2014

An act to add Section 37117 to the Government Code, relating to local government.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1980, as introduced, Roger Hernández. Public safety services.

Existing law provides for the creation and regulation of cities. Existing law specifies the powers of the legislative bodies of cities.

Existing law requires the city council of a general law city to appoint a chief of police and provides that the police department of the city is under his or her control. Existing law also requires a general law city to establish a fire department for the city.

This bill would prohibit the legislative body of a general law city from eliminating its entire police or fire protection department except by an ordinance that is approved by a majority of the voters voting on the issue at a local election.

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

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

SECTION 1.  

Section 37117 is added to the Government Code,
to read:

37117.  

The legislative body of a general law city shall not
eliminate its entire police or fire department except by an ordinance
that is approved by a majority of the voters voting on the issue at
a local election.