Bill Text: CA SB1253 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Initiative measures.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Passed) 2014-09-27 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 697, Statutes of 2014. [SB1253 Detail]

Download: California-2013-SB1253-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 1253	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Steinberg

                        FEBRUARY 20, 2014

   An act to amend Sections 101, 303.5, 9002, 9004, 9005, 9014, 9033,
9034, 9051, 9082.7, 9092, 9094.5, and 9604 of the Elections Code,
and to amend Section 88006 of the Government Code, relating to
elections.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1253, as introduced, Steinberg. Initiative measures.
   (1) Under existing law, the text of a proposed initiative measure
is required to be submitted to the Attorney General for preparation
of a circulating title and summary before the petition may be
circulated for signatures. Existing law requires the Department of
Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to jointly develop
an estimate of the fiscal impact of the initiative measure and to
deliver that fiscal estimate to the Attorney General within 25
working days, except as specified, for inclusion in the circulating
title and summary. Existing law further requires the Secretary of
State, upon request of the proponents of an initiative measure, to
review the provisions of the initiative measure and to comment on the
provisions of the measure with respect to form and language clarity.

   This bill would require the Attorney General, upon receipt of a
request to prepare the circulating title and summary, to initiate a
30-day public review process for the proposed initiative measure, as
specified. The bill would require that the fiscal estimate be
prepared jointly by the Department of Finance and the Legislative
Analyst. The bill would require the estimate to be delivered to the
Attorney General within 45 days of the date of receipt of the
proposed initiative measure by the Attorney General instead of 25
working days from the receipt of the final version of the proposed
initiative measure.
   (2) Existing law requires the Attorney General to provide a ballot
label and a ballot title for each measure to be submitted to the
voters at a statewide election. Existing law requires the Attorney
General to prepare a summary of the chief purposes and points of each
statewide ballot measure as part of the ballot title. Existing law,
including provisions of the Political Reform Act of 1974, requires
the Secretary of State to make a copy of the ballot pamphlet
available for public examination at least 20 days before the
Secretary of State submits the copy to the State Printer.
   This bill would impose specified requirements with respect to the
ballot materials required to be prepared by the Attorney General. The
bill would extend the number of days, from 20 to 25, that the
Secretary of State is required to make the copy of the ballot
pamphlet available for public examination.
   (3) Existing law prohibits a petition for a proposed initiative or
referendum measure from being circulated prior to the official
summary date, and prohibits a petition with signatures on a proposed
initiative measure from being filed with the county elections
official later than 150 days from the official summary date.
   This bill would extend the date that a petition with signatures on
a proposed initiative measure is required to be filed with the
county elections official to not later than 300 days from the
official summary date.
   (4) Existing law requires the Secretary of State to notify the
proponents, and immediately transmit to the elections official or
registrar of voters of every county or city and county in the state a
certificate, when the Secretary of State has received from one or
more elections officials or registrars a petition certified to have
been signed by the requisite number of qualified voters.
   This bill would instead require the Secretary of State to issue a
notice of qualification. The bill would require the Secretary of
State to issue a certificate identifying all of the measures for
which he or she issued a notice of qualification for a given
election, as specified.
   (5) Under existing law, the Secretary of State is required to
transmit copies of an initiative measure and its circulating title
and summary to the Senate and the Assembly after the measure is
certified to appear on the ballot for consideration by the voters.
Existing law requires that each house of the Legislature assign the
initiative measure to its appropriate committees, and that the
committees hold joint public hearings on the subject of the proposed
measure prior to the date of the election at which the measure is to
be voted upon, as specified.
   This bill would require the Secretary of State to transmit copies
of the initiative measure and circulating title and summary to the
Legislature after receiving a certification from the initiative
proponents, signed under penalty of perjury, that they have collected
25% of the number of signatures needed to qualify the initiative
measure for the ballot. The bill would require the appropriate
committees of the Senate and Assembly to hold the joint public
hearing on the subject of the measure not later than 131 days prior
to the date of the election at which the measure is to be voted upon.

   (6) Existing law requires the Secretary of State to disseminate
the complete state ballot pamphlet over the Internet and to establish
a process to enable a voter to opt out of receiving the state ballot
pamphlet by mail. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to
develop a program to utilize modern communications and information
processing technology to enhance the availability and accessibility
of information on statewide candidates and ballot initiatives,
including making information available online as well as through
other information processing technology.
   This bill would require the Secretary of State to establish a
process to enable a voter to receive the state ballot pamphlet in an
electronic format instead of by mail. The bill would also require the
Secretary of State to create an Internet Web site, or use other
available technology, to consolidate information about each ballot
measure in a manner that is easy for voters to access and understand.
The Internet Web site would be required to include a summary of each
ballot measure and to identify the donors and other sources of
funding for the campaigns for and against each ballot measure.
   (7) Existing law authorizes the proponents of a statewide
initiative or referendum measure to withdraw the measure at any time
before filing the petition with the appropriate elections official.
Existing law also requires that state initiative petitions circulated
for signature include a prescribed notice to the public.
   This bill would authorize the proponents of a statewide initiative
or referendum measure to have the measure withdrawn from the ballot
at any time before the measure qualifies for the ballot. The bill
would require a petition for a statewide initiative measure to
contain additional prescribed language in its notice to the public
describing the right of proponents to withdraw the measure from the
ballot, as specified.
   This bill would make it a crime, with a prescribed penalty, for a
person to pay or offer to pay money or other valuable consideration
to a proponent of a statewide initiative or referendum measure to
obtain the withdrawal of the measure. The bill would also make it a
crime for a proponent of a statewide initiative or referendum measure
to solicit or accept such a payment or offer of payment. By
establishing a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated
local program.
   (8) 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.
   (9) The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure,
provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's
purposes upon a 2/3 vote of each house and compliance with specified
procedural requirements.
   This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.

   Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as the Ballot
Measure Transparency Act.
  SEC. 2.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
   (a) Initiative measures, also known as ballot measures or
propositions, allow California voters to participate directly in
lawmaking. California voters have enjoyed the right to enact laws
through the initiative process since 1911. However, many voters find
it difficult to understand the language of an initiative measure and
to learn who is behind an initiative measure.
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act to
update the initiative process, which is more than 100 years old, by
doing all of the following:
   (1) Providing voters with more useful information so that they are
able to make an informed decision about an initiative measure. Under
this act, the Secretary of State would be required to give voters
one-stop access to a clear explanation of each measure and
information about the individuals and groups behind each measure.
This would give voters updated information about who is spending
large sums of money to support or oppose each initiative measure.
Voters would also be allowed to request an electronic copy of ballot
materials, thereby reducing the expenses of printing and mailing.
   (2) Providing a voter-friendly explanation of each initiative
measure. The act would require that ballot materials be drafted in
clear and impartial language.
   (3) Identifying and correcting flaws in an initiative measure
before it appears on the ballot. Currently, proponents of an
initiative measure have few options to correct the language of an
initiative measure or to withdraw a petition for a proposed
initiative measure, even when flaws are identified. This act would
give voters an opportunity to comment on an initiative measure before
the petition is circulated for signatures. By extending the time for
gathering signatures, this act would give the Legislature the
opportunity to hold earlier public hearings to review initiative
measures. This act would also allow the proponents of an initiative
measure to withdraw the measure after the petition and signatures are
submitted to elections officials, but before the measure qualifies
for the ballot.
  SEC. 3.  Section 101 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   101.   (a)    Notwithstanding any other 
provision of  law,  any   a 
state or local initiative petition required to be signed by voters
shall contain in 12-point type,  prior to  
before  that portion of the petition for voters' signatures,
printed names, and residence addresses, the following language:


   "NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC


THIS PETITION MAY BE CIRCULATED BY A PAID SIGNATURE GATHERER OR A
VOLUNTEER. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK."


   (b) A state initiative petition shall contain, in the same
location and type size described in subdivision (a), the following
language: 


   "THE PROPONENTS OF THIS PROPOSED INITIATIVE MEASURE HAVE THE RIGHT
TO WITHDRAW THIS PETITION AT ANY TIME BEFORE THE MEASURE QUALIFIES
FOR THE BALLOT."
   

  SEC. 4.  Section 303.5 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   303.5.  (a) "Ballot title" is the name of a statewide measure
included in the ballot label and the ballot title and summary.
   (b) "Ballot title and summary" means the summary of the chief
purpose and points  ,  including the fiscal impact summary
 ,  of any measure that appears in the state ballot
pamphlet. The ballot title and summary shall include a statement of
the measure's fiscal impact.  This   The 
 ballot title and  summary shall  not exceed 100
words,   be not less than 25 words and not more than 150
words in length,  not including the fiscal impact statement.
   (c) (1) "Circulating title and summary" means the text that is
required to be placed on a petition for signatures that is either one
of the following:
   (A) The summary of the chief purpose and points of a proposed
initiative measure that affects the Constitution or laws of the
state, and the fiscal impact of the proposed initiative measure.
   (B) The summary of the chief purpose and points of a referendum
measure that affects a law or laws of the state.
   (2) The circulating title and summary shall  not exceed
100 words,   be not less than 25 words and not more than
150 words in length,  not including the fiscal impact summary.
  SEC. 5.  Section 9002 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

   9002.  (a) The Attorney General shall provide a copy of the title
and summary to the Secretary of State within 15 days after receipt of
the final version of a proposed initiative measure, or, if a fiscal
estimate or opinion is to be included, within 15 days after receipt
of the fiscal estimate or opinion prepared by the Department of
Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee pursuant to
Section 9005. If during the 15-day period the proponents of the
proposed initiative measure submit amendments, other than technical,
nonsubstantive amendments, to the final version of the measure, the
Attorney General shall provide a copy of the title and summary to the
Secretary of State within 15 days after receipt of the amendments.

    9002.    (a) Upon receipt of a request from the
proponents of a proposed initiative measure for a circulating title
and summary, the Attorney General shall initiate a public review
process for a period of 30 days by doing all of the following: 

   (1) Posting the text of the proposed initiative measure on the
Attorney General's Internet Web site.  
   (2) Promoting public participation by inviting on the Attorney
General's Internet Web site written public comments on the proposed
initiative measure. The site shall accept written public comments for
the duration of the public review period. Public comments may
address perceived errors in the drafting of, or perceived unintended
consequences of, the proposed initiative measure. The Attorney
General shall transmit any written public comments received during
the public review period to the proponents of the proposed initiative
measure.  
   (b) During the public review period, the proponents of the
proposed initiative measure may submit amendments to the measure.
 
   (b) The amendment must 
    (1)     An amendment shall  be
submitted with a signed request by all the proponents to prepare a
circulating title and summary using the amended language. 
   (c) The 
    (2)     An  amendment  must
  shall  be submitted to the Attorney General's
Initiative Coordinator located in the  Sacramento 
Attorney General's  Sacramento  Office via  U.S.
  United States  Postal Service, alternative mail
service  ,  or personal delivery. Only printed documents
 will   shall  be  accepted,
  accepted;  facsimile or e-mail delivery 
will   shall  not be accepted. 
   (3) The submission of an amendment shall not extend the period to
prepare the estimate required by Section 9005.  
   (4) An amendment shall not be accepted more than five days after
the public review period is concluded. However, a proponent shall not
be prohibited from proposing a new initiative measure and requesting
that a circulating title and summary be prepared for that measure
pursuant to Section 9001. 
  SEC. 6.  Section 9004 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   9004.  (a) Upon receipt of the text of a proposed initiative
measure,  and after the public review period provided for in
Section 9002,  the Attorney General shall prepare a circulating
title and summary of the chief purposes and points of the proposed
measure. The circulating title and summary shall  not exceed
a total of 100 words   be not less than 25 words and not
more than 150 words in length  . The Attorney General shall
also provide a unique numeric identifier for each proposed initiative
measure. The circulating title and summary shall be prepared in the
manner provided for the preparation of ballot titles and summaries in
Article 5 (commencing with Section 9050), the provisions of which,
in regard to the preparation, filing, and settlement of ballot titles
and summaries, are  hereby made  applicable to the
circulating title and summary.
   (b) The Attorney General shall provide a copy of the circulating
title and summary and its unique numeric identifier to the proponents
and to the Secretary of State within 15 days after receipt of the
fiscal estimate or opinion prepared by the Department of Finance and
the  Joint Legislative Budget Committee  
Legislative Analyst  pursuant to Section 9005. The date the copy
is delivered or mailed to the proponents is the "official summary
date."
   (c) Upon receipt of the circulating title and summary from the
Attorney General, the Secretary of State shall, within one business
day, notify the proponents and county elections official of each
county of the official summary date and provide a copy of the
circulating title and summary to each county elections official. This
notification shall also include a complete schedule showing the
maximum filing deadline, and the certification deadline by the
counties to the Secretary of State.
  SEC. 7.  Section 9005 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   9005.  (a) The Attorney General, in preparing a circulating title
and summary for a proposed initiative measure, shall, in boldface
print, include in the circulating title and summary either the
estimate of the amount of any increase or decrease in revenues or
costs to the state or local government, or an opinion as to whether
or not a substantial net change in state or local finances would
result if the proposed initiative is adopted.
   (b) The estimate as required by this section shall be made jointly
by the Department of Finance and the  Joint Legislative
Budget Committee     Legislative Analyst 
, who shall deliver the estimate to the Attorney General so that he
or she may include the estimate in the circulating title and summary
prepared by him or her.
   (c) The estimate shall be delivered to the Attorney General within
 25 working   45  days  from
  of  the date of receipt  of the final
version  of the proposed initiative measure  from
  by  the Attorney General, unless, in the opinion
of both the Department of Finance and the  Joint Legislative
Budget Committee     Legislative Analyst 
, a reasonable estimate of the net impact of the proposed initiative
measure cannot be prepared within the  25-day  
45-day  period. In the latter case, the Department of Finance
and the  Joint Legislative Budget Committee  
Legislative Analyst  shall, within the  25-day 
 45-day  period, give the Attorney General their opinion as
to whether or not a substantial net change in state or local
finances would result if the proposed initiative measure is adopted.
   (d) A statement of fiscal impact prepared by the Legislative
Analyst pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 12172 of the
Government Code may be used by the Department of Finance and the
 Joint Legislative Budget Committee    
Legislative Analyst  in the preparation of the fiscal estimate
or the opinion.
  SEC. 8.  Section 9014 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   9014.  A petition for a proposed initiative measure or referendum
shall not be circulated for signatures  prior to 
 before  the official summary date. A petition with
signatures on a proposed initiative measure shall be filed with the
county elections official not later than  150  
300  days from the official summary date, and  no
  a  county elections official shall  not 
accept a petition  on   for  the proposed
initiative measure after that period. A petition for a proposed
referendum measure shall be filed with the county elections officials
not later than 90 days from the date the legislative bill was
chaptered by the Secretary of State, and a county elections official
shall not accept a petition for the proposed referendum after that
period.
  SEC. 9.  Section 9033 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   9033.   (a)    When the Secretary of State has
received from one or more elections officials or registrars a
petition, certified as herein provided to have been signed by the
requisite number of qualified voters, the Secretary of State shall
forthwith notify the proponents and immediately transmit to the
elections official or registrar of voters of every county or city and
county in the state  ,  a  certificate
  notice of qualification  showing this fact so
that signature verification can be terminated. A petition shall be
deemed to be filed with the Secretary of State upon the date of the
receipt by the Secretary of State of a certificate or certificates
showing the petition to be signed by the requisite number of voters
of the state. Any elections official shall, upon receipt of the copy,
file the notification for record in that office. 
   (b) On the 131st day before an election at which an initiative
measure is to be voted upon, the Secretary of State shall issue a
certificate identifying each initiative measure for which he or she
issued a notice of qualification, as required by subdivision (a), on
or before that date. 
  SEC. 10.  Section 9034 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   9034.   (a) The proponents of a proposed initiative measure
shall submit a certification, signed under penalty of perjury, to the
Secretary of State immediately upon the collection of 25 percent of
the number of signatures needed to qualify the initiative measure for
the ballot. 
    (b)   Upon the  receipt of the 
certification  of an initiative measure for the ballot,
  required by subdivision (a),  the Secretary of
State shall transmit copies of the initiative measure, together with
the circulating title and summary as prepared by the Attorney General
pursuant to Section 9004, to the Senate and the Assembly. Each house
shall assign the initiative measure to its appropriate committees.
The appropriate committees shall hold joint public hearings on the
subject of  such   the  measure 
prior to   not later than 131 days before  the date
of the election at which the measure is to be voted upon. 
However, no hearing may be held within 30 days prior to the date of
the election.  
   Nothing in this 
    (c)     This  section shall  not
 be construed as authority for the Legislature to alter the
initiative measure or prevent it from appearing on the ballot.
  SEC. 11.  Section 9051 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   9051.  (a) (1) The ballot title and summary may differ from the
legislative, circulating, or other title and summary of the measure
and shall  not exceed 100   be not less than 25
words and not more than 150  words  in length  , not
including the fiscal impact  statement  .
   (2) The ballot title and summary shall  be amended to
 include a summary of the Legislative Analyst's estimate of
the net state and local government fiscal impact prepared pursuant to
Section  9087,   9087 of this code  and
Section 88003 of the Government Code.
   (b) The ballot label shall  not  contain  no
 more than 75 words and shall be a condensed version of the
ballot title and summary including the financial impact summary
prepared pursuant to Section 9087  of this code  and Section
88003 of the Government Code.
   (c) In providing the ballot title and summary, the Attorney
General shall give a true and impartial statement of the purpose of
the measure in such language that the ballot title and summary shall
neither be an argument, nor be likely to create prejudice, for or
against the proposed measure.  The ballot title and summary shall
also satisfy all of the following:  
   (1) Be written in clear and concise terms, understandable to the
average voter, and in an objective and nonpartisan manner, avoiding
the use of technical terms whenever possible.  
   (2) If the measure imposes or increases a tax or fee, the type and
amount of the tax or fee shall be described.  
   (3) If the measure repeals existing law in any substantial manner,
that fact shall be included.  
   (4) If the measure is contingent on the passage or defeat of
another measure or statute, that fact shall be included.  
   (d) The Legislature shall provide the Attorney General with
sufficient funding for administrative and other support relating to
preparation of the ballot title and summary for initiative measures,
including, but not limited to, plain-language specialists.  

   (e) The Attorney General shall invite and consider public comment
in preparing each ballot title and summary. 
  SEC. 12.  Section 9082.7 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   9082.7.   (a)    The Secretary of State shall
 disseminate   make available  the complete
state ballot pamphlet over the Internet. 
   (b) The Secretary of State shall create an Internet Web site, or
use other available technology, to consolidate information about each
ballot measure in a manner that is easy for voters to access and
understand. The information shall include all of the following: 

   (1) A summary of the ballot measure's content.  
   (2) The sources of funding for each committee formed or existing
primarily to support or oppose the ballot measure, as described in
Section 82047.5 of the Government Code.  
   (3) A statement identifying the 10 donors who have contributed the
largest amounts to campaigns for and against a ballot measure. The
statement shall be updated as new information becomes available to
the public pursuant to the Political Reform Act of 1974 (Title 9
(commencing with Section 81000) of the Government Code).  
   (4) Any other Internet Web site hyperlinks to other relevant
information. 
  SEC. 13.  Section 9092 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   9092.  Not less than  20   25  days
before he or she submits the copy for the ballot pamphlet to the
State Printer, the Secretary of State shall make the copy available
for public examination. Any elector may seek a writ of mandate
requiring any copy to be amended or deleted from the ballot pamphlet.
A peremptory writ of mandate shall issue only upon clear and
convincing proof that the copy in question is false, misleading, or
inconsistent with the requirements of this code or Chapter 8
(commencing with Section 88000) of Title 9 of the Government Code,
and that issuance of the writ will not substantially interfere with
the printing and distribution of the ballot pamphlet as required by
law. Venue for a proceeding under this section shall be exclusively
in Sacramento County. The Secretary of State shall be named as the
respondent and the State Printer and the person or official who
authored the copy in question shall be named as real parties in
interest. If the proceeding is initiated by the Secretary of State,
the State Printer shall be named as the respondent.
  SEC. 14.  Section 9094.5 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   9094.5.  (a) The Secretary of State shall establish a process to
enable a voter to opt out of receiving by mail the state ballot
pamphlet prepared pursuant to Section 9081  and to instead
receive the state ballot pamphlet in an electronic format  .
This process shall become effective only after the Secretary of State
certifies that the state has a statewide voter registration database
that complies with the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 (42
U.S.C. Sec. 15301 et seq.).
   (b) The process described in subdivision (a) shall not apply where
two or more registered voters have the same postal address unless
each voter who shares the same postal address has chosen to
discontinue receiving the ballot pamphlet by mail.
   (c) The Secretary of State shall also establish a procedure to
permit a voter to begin receiving the ballot pamphlet by mail again
after the voter has discontinued receiving it pursuant to subdivision
(a).
  SEC. 15.  Section 9604 of the Elections Code is amended to read:
   9604.  (a) Notwithstanding any other  provision of
 law, any person may engage in good faith bargaining between
competing interests to secure legislative approval of matters
embraced in a statewide or local initiative or referendum measure,
and the proponents may, as a result of these negotiations, withdraw
the measure at any time before filing the petition with the
appropriate elections official. 
   (b) In addition to the procedure under subdivision (a), the
proponents of a statewide initiative or referendum measure may
withdraw the measure after filing the petition with the appropriate
elections official at any time before the measure qualifies for the
ballot.  
   (b) 
    (c)  Withdrawal of a statewide initiative or referendum
measure shall be effective upon receipt by the Secretary of State of
a written notice of withdrawal, signed by all proponents of the
measure. 
   (c) 
    (d)  Withdrawal of a local initiative or referendum
measure shall be effective upon receipt by the appropriate local
elections official of a written notice of withdrawal, signed by all
proponents of the measure. 
   (e) The proponents of a statewide initiative or referendum measure
shall not solicit or accept, and a person shall not offer or pay,
any money or other valuable consideration to obtain the withdrawal of
a statewide initiative or referendum measure from the ballot. A
violation of this subdivision shall be subject to the same penalty as
provided for in Section 18660. 
  SEC. 16.  Section 88006 of the Government Code is amended to read:
   88006.  Not less than  20   25  days
before he or she submits the copy for the ballot pamphlet to the
State Printer, the Secretary of State shall make the copy available
for public examination. Any elector may seek a writ of mandate
requiring the copy to be amended or deleted from the ballot pamphlet.
A peremptory writ of mandate shall issue only upon clear and
convincing proof that the copy in question is false, misleading or
inconsistent with the requirements of this chapter or the Elections
Code, and that issuance of the writ will not substantially interfere
with the printing and distribution of the ballot pamphlet as required
by law. Venue for a proceeding under this section shall be
exclusively in Sacramento County. The Secretary of State shall be
named as the respondent and the State Printer and the person or
official who authored the copy in question shall be named as real
parties in interest. If the proceeding is initiated by the Secretary
of State, the State Printer shall be named as the respondent.
  SEC. 17.  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.
  SEC. 18.  The Legislature finds and declares that this bill
furthers the purposes of the Political Reform Act of 1974 within the
meaning of subdivision (a) of Section 81012 of the Government Code.