BILL NUMBER: AB 630 ENROLLED
BILL TEXT
PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 20, 2015
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 24, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 1, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Linder
FEBRUARY 24, 2015
An act to amend Sections 1363, 3105, and 24102 of the Government
Code, relating to public employment.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 630, Linder. Public officers and employees: oath of office.
The California Constitution requires Members of the Legislature,
and all public officers and employees, to take and subscribe a
specified oath of office or affirmation. The California Constitution
permits inferior officers and employees to be exempted by law from
this requirement. Existing law, in the case of particular officers,
requires the oath, after being administered, to be filed in
designated offices.
This bill would authorize a county board of supervisors to require
a new oath or affirmation to be filed within 10 days of a legal
change in name, delegated authority, or department by an officer or
department head of that county. The bill would authorize the county
to maintain a record, subject to disclosure under the California
Public Records Act, of each person so required to file a new oath of
office, indicating whether or not the person has complied. The bill
would specify that failure to comply with this requirement for a new
oath or affirmation is not punishable as a crime. This bill would
specify that the powers of an appointed officer of a county are no
longer granted upon the officer's departure from office, and would
authorize a county board of supervisors to require the appointing
authority to rescind these powers in writing by filing a revocation
in the same manner as the oath of office was filed.
Existing law requires the oath or affirmation of disaster service
workers to be filed in designated offices.
This bill would authorize a county board of supervisors to require
a new oath or affirmation to be filed within 10 days of a change in
legal name by a disaster service worker of that county. The bill
would authorize the county to maintain a record, subject to
disclosure under the California Public Records Act, of each person so
required to file a new oath of office, indicating whether or not the
person has complied. The bill would specify that failure to comply
with this requirement for a new oath or affirmation is not punishable
as a crime.
Existing law requires the written appointment of a deputy of a
county official to be filed as specified.
This bill would authorize a county board of supervisors to require
a new appointment to be filed within 10 days of a legal change in
name, delegated authority, or department by an appointed deputy of
that county. The bill would authorize the county to maintain a
record, subject to disclosure under the California Public Records
Act, of each person so required to file a new oath of office,
indicating whether or not the person has complied.
Violating an oath or affirmation is a crime. Because this bill
would expand the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a
state-mandated local program.
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 no reimbursement is required by this
act for a specified reason.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 1363 of the Government Code is amended to read:
1363. (a) Unless otherwise provided, every oath of office
certified by the officer before whom it was taken shall be filed
within the time required as follows:
(1) The oath of all officers whose authority is not limited to any
particular county, in the office of the Secretary of State.
(2) The oath of all officers elected or appointed for any county,
and, except as provided in paragraph (4), of all officers whose
duties are local, or whose residence in any particular county is
prescribed by law, in the office of the county clerk of their
respective counties.
(3) Each judge of a superior court, the county clerk, the clerk of
the court, the executive officer or court administrator of the
superior court, and the recorder shall file a copy of his or her
official oath, signed with his or her own proper signature, in the
office of the Secretary of State as soon as he or she has taken and
subscribed his or her oath.
(4) The oath of all officers for any independent special district,
as defined in Section 56044, in the office of the clerk or secretary
of that district.
(b) (1) In its discretion, the board of supervisors of a county
may require every elected or appointed officer or department head of
that county who legally changes his or her name, delegated authority,
or department, within 10 days from the date of the change, to file a
new oath of office in the same manner as the original filing. The
county may maintain a record of each person so required to file a new
oath of office indicating whether or not the person has complied.
Any record maintained pursuant to this paragraph is a public record
subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act
(Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7).
(2) Notwithstanding any other law, including, but not limited to,
Sections 1368 and 1369, failure of an elected or appointed officer or
department head of a county to file a new oath of office required by
the board of supervisors pursuant to this subdivision shall not be
punishable as a crime.
(c) Every oath of office filed pursuant to this section with the
Secretary of State shall include the expiration date of the officer's
term of office, if any. In the case of an oath of office for an
appointed officer, if there is no expiration date set forth in the
oath, or the officer leaves office before the expiration date, the
appointing authority shall report in writing to the Secretary of
State the officer's date of departure from office.
(d) The powers of an appointed officer of a county are no longer
granted upon the officer's departure from office. In its discretion,
the board of supervisors of a county may require the appointing
authority to rescind these powers in writing by filing a revocation
in the same manner as the oath of office was filed.
SEC. 2. Section 3105 of the Government Code is amended to read:
3105. (a) The oath or affirmation of any disaster service worker
of the state shall be filed as prescribed by State Personnel Board
rule within 30 days of the date on which it is taken and subscribed.
(b) The oath or affirmation of any disaster service worker of any
county shall be filed in the office of the county clerk of the county
or in the official department personnel file of the county employee
who is designated as a disaster service worker.
(c) The oath or affirmation of any disaster service worker of any
city shall be filed in the office of the city clerk of the city.
(d) The oath or affirmation of any disaster service worker of any
other public agency, including any district, shall be filed with any
officer or employee of the agency that may be designated by the
agency.
(e) (1) In its discretion, the board of supervisors of a county
may require every disaster service worker of that county who legally
changes his or her name, within 10 days from the date of the change,
to file a new oath or affirmation in the same manner as the original
filing. The county may maintain a record of each person so required
to file a new oath of office indicating whether or not the person has
complied. Any record maintained pursuant to this paragraph is a
public record subject to disclosure under the California Public
Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division
7).
(2) Notwithstanding any other law, including, but not limited to,
Sections 3108 and 3109, failure of a disaster service worker to file
a new oath of office required by the board of supervisors pursuant to
this subdivision shall not be punishable as a crime.
(f) The oath or affirmation of any disaster service worker may be
destroyed without duplication five years after the termination of the
disaster service worker's service or, in the case of a public
employee, five years after the termination of the employee's
employment.
SEC. 3. Section 24102 of the Government Code is amended to read:
24102. (a) An appointee shall not act as deputy until:
(1) A written appointment by the deputy's principal is filed with
the county clerk.
(2) A copy of the appointment is filed with the county auditor, if
the auditor has so requested.
(3) The deputy has taken the oath of office.
(b) In its discretion, the board of supervisors of a county may
require every appointed deputy of that county who legally changes his
or her name, delegated authority, or department, within 10 days from
the date of the change, to file a new appointment in the same manner
as the original filing. The county may maintain a record of each
person so required to file a new oath of office indicating whether or
not the person has complied. Any record maintained pursuant to this
subdivision is a public record subject to disclosure under the
California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section
6250) of Division 7 of Title 1).
(c) A revocation of the appointment of any deputy shall be made
and filed in the same manner as the appointment.
(d) Five years after the date of revocation of appointment of a
deputy, the written oath of office subscribed to by such deputy may
be destroyed and no reproduction thereof need be made or preserved.
SEC. 4. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because 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.