Bill Text: CA AB765 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Local initiative measures: submission to the voters.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-10-13 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 748, Statutes of 2017. [AB765 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB765-Chaptered.html
| Assembly Bill No. 765 |
| CHAPTER 748 |
An act to amend Sections 1405, 9111, 9118, 9212, 9215, and 9310 of, and to repeal Sections 9116, 9214, and 9311 of, the Elections Code, relating to elections.
[
Approved by
Governor
October 13, 2017.
Filed with
Secretary of State
October 13, 2017.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 765, Low.
Local initiative measures: submission to the voters.
Existing law permits a proposed county, municipal, or district ordinance to be submitted to the governing body of the county, city, or district by filing an initiative petition signed by a specified number of voters. If a county or municipal initiative measure qualifies for the ballot, existing law requires that the election for the measure be either at a special election or at the next statewide or regular election, depending on the percentage of signatures received on the initiative petition. If a district initiative measure qualifies for the ballot, existing law requires that the election for the measure be either at a special election or at the next regular election, depending on whether the initiative petition contains a specified request.
This bill instead would require that the election for a county, municipal, or district initiative
measure that qualifies for the ballot be the next statewide or regular election, as applicable, unless the governing body of the county, city, or district calls a special election. The bill also would make conforming changes.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 1405 of the Elections Code is amended to read:1405.
(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), the election for a county initiative that qualifies pursuant to Section 9118 shall be held at the next statewide election occurring not less than 88 days after the date of the order of election. The election for a municipal or district initiative that qualifies pursuant to Section 9215 or 9310 shall be held at the jurisdiction’s next regular election occurring not less than 88 days after the date of the order of election.(b) The governing body of a county, city, or district may call a special election for the purpose of submitting an initiative measure to the voters before the date on which the initiative
measure would appear on the ballot pursuant to subdivision (a). If the governing body calls a special election pursuant to this subdivision, the election shall be held not less than 88 days nor more than 103 days after the order of the election.
SEC. 2.
Section 9111 of the Elections Code is amended to read:9111.
(a) During the circulation of the petition or before taking either action described in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 9118, the board of supervisors may refer the proposed initiative measure to a county agency or agencies for a report on any or all of the following:(1) Its fiscal impact.
(2) Its effect on the internal consistency of the county’s general and specific plans, including the housing element, the consistency between planning and zoning, and the limitations on county actions under Section 65008 of the Government Code and Chapters 4.2 (commencing with Section 65913) and 4.3
(commencing with Section 65915) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code.
(3) Its effect on the use of land, the impact on the availability and location of housing, and the ability of the county to meet its regional housing needs.
(4) Its impact on funding for infrastructure of all types, including, but not limited to, transportation, schools, parks, and open space. The report may also discuss whether the measure would be likely to result in increased infrastructure costs or savings, including the costs of infrastructure maintenance, to current residents and businesses.
(5) Its impact on the community’s ability to attract and retain business and employment.
(6) Its impact on the uses of vacant parcels of land.
(7) Its impact on agricultural lands, open space, traffic congestion, existing business districts, and developed areas designated for revitalization.
(8) Any other matters the board of supervisors request to be in the report.
(b) The report shall be presented to the board of supervisors within the time prescribed by the board of supervisors, but no later than 30 days after the county elections official certifies to the board of supervisors the sufficiency of the petition.
SEC. 3.
Section 9116 of the Elections Code is repealed.SEC. 4.
Section 9118 of the Elections Code is amended to read:9118.
If the initiative petition is signed by voters not less in number than 10 percent of the entire vote cast in the county for all candidates for Governor at the last gubernatorial election preceding the publication of the notice of intention to circulate an initiative petition, the board of supervisors shall do one of the following:(a) Adopt the ordinance, without alteration,
at the regular meeting at which the certification of the petition is presented, or within 10 days after it is presented.
(b) Submit the ordinance, without alteration, to the voters pursuant to Section 1405.
(c) Order a report pursuant to Section 9111 at the regular meeting at which the certification of the petition is presented. When the report is presented to the board of supervisors, the board shall either adopt the ordinance within 10 days or order an election pursuant to subdivision (b).
SEC. 5.
Section 9212 of the Elections Code is amended to read:9212.
(a) During the circulation of the petition, or before taking either action described in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 9215, the legislative body may refer the proposed initiative measure to a city agency or agencies for a report on any or all of the following:(1) Its fiscal impact.
(2) Its effect on the internal consistency of the city’s general and specific plans, including the housing element, the consistency between planning and zoning, and the limitations on city actions under Section 65008 of the Government Code and Chapters 4.2 (commencing with Section 65913) and 4.3
(commencing with Section 65915) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code.
(3) Its effect on the use of land, the impact on the availability and location of housing, and the ability of the city to meet its regional housing needs.
(4) Its impact on funding for infrastructure of all types, including, but not limited to, transportation, schools, parks, and open space. The report may also discuss whether the measure would be likely to result in increased infrastructure costs or savings, including the costs of infrastructure maintenance, to current residents and businesses.
(5) Its impact on the community’s ability to attract and retain business and employment.
(6) Its impact on the uses of vacant parcels of land.
(7) Its impact on agricultural lands, open space, traffic congestion, existing business districts, and developed areas designated for revitalization.
(8) Any other matters the legislative body requests to be in the report.
(b) The report shall be presented to the legislative body within the time prescribed by the legislative body, but no later than 30 days after the elections official certifies to the legislative body the sufficiency of the petition.
SEC. 6.
Section 9214 of the Elections Code is repealed.SEC. 7.
Section 9215 of the Elections Code is amended to read:9215.
If the initiative petition is signed by not less than 10 percent of the voters of the city, according to the last report of registration by the county elections official to the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 2187, effective at the time the notice specified in Section 9202 was published, or, in a city with 1,000 or less registered voters, by 25 percent of the voters or 100 voters of the city, whichever is the lesser number, the legislative body shall do one of the following:(a) Adopt the ordinance, without alteration, at the regular meeting at which the certification of the petition is presented, or within 10 days after it is presented.
(b) Submit the ordinance, without alteration, to the voters pursuant to
Section 1405.
(c) Order a report pursuant to Section 9212 at the regular meeting at which the certification of the petition is presented. When the report is presented to the legislative body, the legislative body shall either adopt the ordinance within 10 days or order an election pursuant to subdivision (b).
SEC. 8.
Section 9310 of the Elections Code is amended to read:9310.
(a) If the initiative petition is signed by voters not less in number than 10 percent of the voters in the district, where the total number of registered voters is less than 500,000, or not less in number than 5 percent of the voters in the district, where the total number of registered voters is 500,000 or more, the district board shall do either of the following:(1) Adopt the ordinance, without alteration, either at the regular meeting at which the certification of the petition is presented, or within 10 days after it is presented.
(2) Submit the ordinance, without alteration,
to the voters pursuant to Section 1405.
(b) The number of registered voters referred to in subdivision (a) shall be calculated as of the time of the last report of registration by the county elections official to the Secretary of State made
before publication or posting of the notice of intention to circulate the initiative petition.
