Bill Text: CA SB270 | 2025-2026 | Regular Session | Amended


Bill Title: Recall elections: notice of intention.

Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 4-1)

Status: (Failed) 2026-02-02 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB270 Detail]

Download: California-2025-SB270-Amended.html

Amended  IN  Senate  April 09, 2025
Amended  IN  Senate  April 02, 2025

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 270


Introduced by Senator Ochoa Bogh
(Coauthors: Senators Choi, Hurtado, Jones, and Niello)

February 03, 2025


An act to amend Sections 11020, 11021, and 11022 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 270, as amended, Ochoa Bogh. Recall elections: notice of intention.
Existing law governs the recall of certain state and local elective officers. Existing law requires proponents of a recall to serve, file, and publish a copy of the notice of intention to recall the elective officer, as specified. Existing law requires the notice of intention to contain, among other things, the printed name, signature, and residence address, including street and number, city, and ZIP Code, of each proponent of the recall. Existing law requires publication of the notice of intention in a newspaper of general circulation in the jurisdiction of the officer sought to be recalled. If there is no newspaper of general circulation, the notice of intention must be posted in at least 3 public places within the jurisdiction.
This bill would require the elections official or Secretary of State to redact the proponents’ signatures and the street numbers and street names of their residence before making the notice of intention to be redacted or otherwise excluded from the notice of intention before it is made available to the public. If there is no newspaper of general circulation in the jurisdiction of the officer sought to be recalled, the bill would require the notice of intention to also be posted on at least 3 internet websites.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 11020 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

11020.
 (a) The notice of intention shall contain all of the following:
(1) The name and title of the officer sought to be recalled.
(2) A statement, not exceeding 200 words in length, of the reasons for the proposed recall.
(3) For each proponent of the recall, all of the following:
(A) A printed name.
(B) A signature.
(C) (i) A residence address that includes all of the following:
(I) Street number and street name.
(II) City.
(III) ZIP Code.
(ii) If a proponent cannot receive mail at the residence address, the proponent shall provide an alternative mailing address.
(4) The provisions of Section 11023.
(b) (1) For a state office, and for a local office where the number of registered voters in the electoral jurisdiction is at least 100,000, the minimum number of proponents listed on the notice of intention is 50, or equal to five times the number of signatures required to have been filed on the nomination paper of the officer sought to be recalled, whichever is higher.
(2) For a local office where the number of registered voters in the electoral jurisdiction is at least 1,000 but less than 100,000, the minimum number of proponents listed on the notice of intention is 30, or equal to three times the number of signatures required to have been filed on the nomination paper of the officer sought to be recalled, whichever is higher.
(3) For a local office where the number of registered voters in the electoral jurisdiction is less than 1,000, the minimum number of proponents listed on the notice of intention is 30.
(c) The notice of intention shall include at least the number of proponents specified in subdivision (b).

SEC. 2.

 Section 11021 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

11021.
 (a) A copy of the notice of intention shall be served by personal delivery, or by certified mail, on the officer sought to be recalled. Within seven days of serving the notice of intention, the original thereof shall be filed, along with an affidavit of the time and manner of service, with the elections official or, in the case of the recall of a state officer, the Secretary of State. A separate notice of intention shall be filed for each officer sought to be recalled.
(b) Notwithstanding the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1 of the Government Code), the elections official or Secretary of State shall redact the information specified in subparagraph (B) of, and subclause (I) of clause (i) of subparagraph (C) of, paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 11020 before making the notice of intention available to the public.

SEC. 3.

 Section 11022 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

11022.
 (a) A copy of the notice, except the provisions required by paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 11020, information described in subdivision (c), shall be published at the proponents’ expense pursuant to Section 6061 of the Government Code. Publication shall be required unless there is no newspaper of general circulation able to provide timely publication in the jurisdiction of the officer sought to be recalled.
(b) (1) If publication pursuant to subdivision (a) is not possible, the notice, except the provisions required by paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 11020, information described in subdivision (c), shall be posted in at least three public places within the jurisdiction of the officer to be recalled and on at least three internet websites, including that of the jurisdiction, that of a local business association, and that which serves as a local community bulletin board. jurisdiction.
(2) The Secretary of State shall adopt regulations to implement the internet posting requirements in paragraph (1).
(c) All of the following shall be excluded from a notice published or posted pursuant to this section:
(1) The signatures of each proponent of the recall, as required by subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 11020.
(2) The street number and street name of the residence address for each proponent of the recall, as required by subclause (I) of clause (i) of subparagraph (C) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 11020.
(3) The provisions required by paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 11020.

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