Bill Text: CA AB642 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Publication: newspaper of general circulation: Internet
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-03 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB642 Detail]
Download: California-2013-AB642-Introduced.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 642 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Rendon
FEBRUARY 20, 2013
An act to add Section 6009 to the Government Code, relating to
notice by publication.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 642, as introduced, Rendon. Publication: newspaper of general
circulation: Internet Web site.
Existing law requires that various types of notices are provided
in a newspaper of general circulation. Existing law requires a
newspaper of general circulation to meet certain criteria, including,
among others, that it be published and have a substantial
distribution to paid subscribers in the city, district, or judicial
district in which it is seeking adjudication.
This bill would provide that a newspaper that is available on an
Internet Web site may also qualify as a newspaper of general
circulation, provided that newspaper meets certain criteria.
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 6009 is added to the Government Code, to read:
6009. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a newspaper that is
available on an Internet Web site is a "newspaper of general
circulation" if it meets the following criteria:
(1) It provides local, national, or international news and
intelligence of a general character on its Internet Web site.
(2) It has been established and updated at regular intervals of
not less than weekly for at least one year prior to the date of
adjudication.
(3) It has a substantial regular readership in the city, district,
or judicial district in which the newspaper is seeking adjudication
pursuant to subdivision (b).
(4) It maintains editorial or reporting staff within the city,
district, or judicial district in which the newspaper is seeking
adjudication pursuant to subdivision (b).
(5) It has maintained a minimum coverage of local, national, or
international news and intelligence of a general character on at
least 25 percent of the space available on the homepage of the
Internet Web site of the newspaper.
(6) It provides a link to public notices published in the
newspaper on the homepage of the Internet Web site of the newspaper
that is readily accessible to any person visiting that Internet Web
site; it engages in search engine optimization efforts to ensure that
the subject matter of the notices is searchable to users of the
three largest Internet search engines as measured by current market
share at the time notice is published and that links to the notices
are included in search results displayed to users of Internet search
engines; and that it archives public notices for a period of one year
after the last date on which each notice is published to ensure that
the notice remains accessible to readers of the newspaper and
searchable to users of search engines.
(b) For the purposes of Section 6020, a newspaper meeting the
criteria of this section, that desires to have its standing as a
newspaper of general circulation ascertained and established, may, by
its publisher, manager, editor, or attorney, file a verified
petition in the superior court of the county in which it is
established.
(c) For purposes of this section, "established" means in existence
under a specified name during the whole one-year period and the
city, district, or judicial district where the newspaper has a
substantial regular readership and where it maintains editorial or
reporting staff. A modification of name in accordance with Section
6024, which does not substantially change the identity of the
newspaper, shall not affect the status of the newspaper for the
purposes of this definition.
