BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 2219
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 9, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                 AB 2219 (Fong) - As Introduced:  February 20, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                              ElectionsVote:7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              Yes

           SUMMARY  

          This bill allows county elections officials to cease verifying  
          signatures on a petition once the Secretary of State (SOS) has  
          determined, based on status reports on signature verification  
          received from the elections officials, that an initiative or  
          referendum has qualified for the ballot.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Ongoing savings to counties, from reduced workload associated  
          with discontinued signature verification, and minor absorbable  
          costs to the SOS.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Background  . Once the requisite number of signatures has been  
            collected for an initiative or referendum, they must be filed  
            with the appropriate county elections officials, who must  
            determine the total number of signatures and report to the  
            SOS. If the raw count of signatures submitted equals 100% or  
            more of the total needed to qualify the measure, the SOS  
            notifies the county elections official to verify the  
            signatures using a random sample verification technique.  If  
            the result of the random sample indicates the number of valid  
            signatures represents between 95% and 110% of the required  
            total, the SOS is required to direct the county elections  
            official to verify every signature on the petition.  

           2)Purpose  . This bill, sponsored by the California Association of  
            Clerks and Elections Officials, intends to makes the signature  
            verification process more efficient and transparent.  
            Specifically, this bill requires the elections official, when  








                                                                  AB 2219
                                                                  Page  2

            conducting a full check of all signatures filed, to submit one  
            or more reports to the SOS showing the number of signatures of  
            qualified voters that have been verified as of that date.  
            Additionally, this bill requires the SOS to maintain a list  
            indicating the number of verified signatures of qualified  
            voters who have signed the petition.  If the SOS determines  
            that the measure has qualified prior to each county completing  
            the examination of each signature filed, then counties are  
            able to stop the verification of signatures.
            
           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081