Bill Text: CA AB2627 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Voter registration and outreach programs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-16 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB2627 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AB2627-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  April 11, 2024

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 12, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2627

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Introduced by Assembly Member Pellerin
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Berman)

February 14, 2024

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An act to add Chapter 9.5 (commencing with Section 2720) to Division 2 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2627, as amended, Pellerin. Voter registration and outreach programs.

Existing law requires the Secretary of State to adopt regulations requiring each county to design and implement programs intended to identify qualified electors who are not registered to vote and to register those persons to vote.

This bill would require the Secretary of State to award grants from the Civic Learning, Outreach, and Engagement Fund to local elections officials for programs that integrate voter registration and preregistration with civic education and engagement, and to coordinate with local educational agencies to implement these programs. The bill would require a local elections official applying for a grant to submit to the Secretary of State a plan for administration of the civic education and engagement program, as specified. The bill would require a local elections official receiving a grant to evaluate the program each year and report the results to the Secretary of State, as specified. The bill would require initial grants be awarded for a minimum of three years and would require the Secretary of State, when awarding grants, to prioritize counties with lower voter registration and participation rates. The bill would establish the Civic Learning, Outreach, and Engagement Fund in the General Fund and would make the moneys in the fund available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the grants and contracts provided for in the bill.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

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

SECTION 1.

 Chapter 9.5 (commencing with Section 2720) is added to Division 2 of the Elections Code, to read:

CHAPTER  9.5. Civic Education and Voter Outreach Programs

2720.

 This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the Civic Learning, Outreach, and Engagement Program.

2721.

 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that voter registration be maintained at the highest possible level. As the chief elections official of the state with the responsibility to promote voter registration and preregistration, the Secretary of State is responsible for promoting civic learning and engagement to prepare younger Californians to register to vote and to vote.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the Secretary of State work in coordination with local elections officials to develop plans for civic education and engagement and that those local plans include coordination with local educational agencies.

2722.

 For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) “Fund” means the Civic Learning, Outreach, and Engagement Fund established in Section 2723.

(b) “Local educational agency” means school districts, county offices of education, and schools.

(c) “State Civic Seal” means the State Seal of Civic Engagement established pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 51470) of Chapter 3 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code.

2723.

 (a) The Civic Learning, Outreach, and Engagement Fund is hereby established in the General Fund. For purposes of this chapter, all references to the “fund” are to the Civic Learning, Outreach, and Engagement Fund.

(b) Moneys in the fund are available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for expenditure by the Secretary of State for the purposes described in Section 2724.

(c) The Secretary of State shall set aside no more than 5 percent of moneys appropriated from the fund to employ persons to administer the fund, including making grants and evaluating programs implemented by grant recipients.

2724.

 (a) The Secretary of State shall award grants from the fund to local elections officials for programs that integrate voter registration and preregistration with civic education and engagement, and coordinate with local educational agencies to implement these programs.

(b) The Secretary of State shall adopt regulations to implement this chapter, including regulations to administer the grant application process.

(c) A local elections official applying for a grant shall submit to the Secretary of State a plan for administration of the civic education and engagement program that shall, at a minimum, include a description of how the elections official will coordinate with a local educational agency to implement the program. Plans containing the following elements, or elements similar to the following, shall be considered:

(1) Plans that result in the awarding the State Civic Seal pursuant to Section 51470 of the Education Code.

(2) Plans to administer mock elections and student government elections at participating school sites.

(3) Plans that promote media literacy in connection with elections.

(4) Plans that offer students opportunities to participate in the conduct of an election in the county.

(5) Plans to develop hands-on curriculum and engagement opportunities.

(d) For each year that the program is conducted, a local elections official receiving a grant pursuant to this chapter shall evaluate the program and report the results of the evaluation to the Secretary of State. The report shall include statistics relating to the cost of conducting the civic education and engagement program, student participation on each campus disaggregated by grade level, the number of students who registered or preregistered to vote due to the program, and any other benefits or problems that arose in the conduct of the program. A participating local elections official may partner with a California public postsecondary educational institution to compile this required report. The Secretary of State shall submit the report to the Legislature.

(e) Local elections officials who receive grants pursuant to this chapter shall share their program materials with the Secretary of State, who shall maintain a repository and make the materials available to other counties.

(f) Grants pursuant to the initial application shall be awarded for a minimum of three years.

(g) In awarding grants, the Secretary of State shall prioritize those counties with lower voter registration and participation rates. It is the intent of the Legislature that awards of grants shall reflect a diversity of counties by size, demography, and geography, and may reflect a diverse set of approaches to promoting civic engagement and increasing voter participation.

(h) Notwithstanding any other law, the Secretary of State shall make grant applications available to local elections officials on or before April 1, 2025, contingent upon the Legislature appropriating funds for the purpose of this chapter.