BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2243|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2243
Author: Weber (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE : 5-0, 6/17/14
AYES: Hancock, De Le�n, Liu, Mitchell, Steinberg
NO VOTE RECORDED: Anderson, Knight
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 59-13, 4/21/14 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Elections: voting rights guide: incarcerated
persons
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the California Department of
Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to make specified
information relating to voting rights of incarcerated persons
available to the public.
ANALYSIS : Existing law:
1.Requires the Legislature to provide for the disqualification
of electors while mentally incompetent or imprisoned or on
parole for the conviction of a felony.
2.Requires that a person be a U.S. citizen, California resident,
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not in prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and
at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election to
be entitled to register to vote in this state.
3.Requires each county probation department to do one of the
following:
A. Establish and maintain on the county probation
department's Internet Web site a hyperlink to the Internet
Web site at which the Secretary of State's voting rights
guide for incarcerated persons may be found; or,
B. Post, in each county probation department where
probationers are seen, a notice that contains the Internet
Web site address at which the Secretary of State's voting
rights guide for incarcerated persons may be found.
1.Requires the facility administrator of a local detention
facility to develop written policies and procedures whereby
the county registrar of voters allows qualified voters to vote
in local, state, and federal elections, pursuant to election
codes.
This bill requires CDCR to do one of the following:
1.Establish and maintain on CDCR's Internet Web site, a
hyperlink to the Internet Web site at which the Secretary of
State's voting rights guide for incarcerated persons may be
found.
2.Post, in each parole office where parolees are seen, a notice
that contains the Internet Web site address at which the
Secretary of State's voting rights guide for incarcerated
persons may be found.
Comments
According to the author:
Civic participation can be a critical component of re-entry
and has been linked to reduced recidivism, persons involved
in our criminal justice system are not apprised of their
voting rights nor is accurate voter information readily
accessible to them. Rumors and misinformation abound, and
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even from courts, public defenders and elections officials
often give out incorrect information about voter
eligibility.
AB 2243 is a modest measure that aims to ensure persons
involved in the criminal justice system are given accurate
information about their voting rights and are afforded the
opportunity to participate in the civic life of their
communities by either requiring each county parole
department to post hyperlink on its internet website to the
Secretary of State's voting guide for current and formerly
incarcerated persons or by posting a notice with the
Internet web address containing the Secretary of State's
voting rights guide for incarcerated persons in each parole
office where parolees are seen.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/30/14)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees,
AFL-CIO
American Civil Liberties Union
Broken No More
California Attorneys for Criminal Justice
California Correctional Peace Officers Association
California Public Defenders Association
Drug Policy Alliance
A New PATH
Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 59-13, 4/21/14
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Ammiano, Atkins, Bloom, Bocanegra,
Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian Calderon,
Campos, Chau, Ch�vez, Chesbro, Cooley, Dababneh, Daly,
Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Frazier, Garcia, Gatto,
Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Hall, Roger Hern�ndez, Holden,
Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Lowenthal, Medina, Mullin,
Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel P�rez,
Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas,
Skinner, Stone, Ting, Weber, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada,
John A. P�rez
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AB 2243
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NOES: Allen, Bigelow, Conway, Beth Gaines, Gorell, Grove,
Harkey, Linder, Maienschein, Mansoor, Patterson, Wagner, Wilk
NO VOTE RECORDED: Dahle, Fox, Hagman, Logue, Melendez, Nestande,
Waldron, Vacancy
JG:nl 6/30/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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