Bill Text: CA AB6 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Enrolled

California Assembly Bill 6 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Initiatives: paid circulators.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2010-01-14 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB6 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB6-Enrolled.html

BILL NUMBER: AB 6	ENROLLED
	BILL TEXT

	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 31, 2009
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  MAY 28, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 28, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 13, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 26, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Saldana

                        DECEMBER 1, 2008

   An act to add Section 9023 to the Elections Code, relating to
elections.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 6, Saldana. Initiatives: paid circulators.
   Existing law regulates the process of proposing initiative
measures to the people and sets forth qualifications for persons who
circulate initiative petitions in the state.
   This bill would require a professional petition firm, as defined,
that pays petition circulators to gather signatures for state or
local ballot initiatives to register with the Secretary of State and
pay a registration fee to be established by the Secretary of State.
The bill would require the Secretary of State to use the fees
collected to maintain a directory of professional petition firms on
its Internet Web site, as well as to defray costs associated with
these requirements.
   This bill would require a member of the firm to brief petition
circulators on the relevant law regarding circulation of petitions as
a condition of hiring and to submit to the Secretary of State a
statement signed by each petition circulator and the member who
conducted the briefing that the petition circulator has received the
briefing, as well as the training materials provided to the petition
circulator in connection with the briefing.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 9023 is added to the Elections Code, to read:
   9023.  (a) For purposes of this section, a "professional petition
firm" means an entity that pays individuals to circulate petitions
and gather signatures for the purpose of qualifying an initiative on
a state or local election ballot.
   (b) A professional petition firm shall register annually with the
Secretary of State in order to be eligible to pay individuals to
circulate petitions and collect signatures in order to qualify an
initiative on a state or local election ballot. Registration shall
include the full name, address, and partners, owners, or officers of
the firm. This information shall be accompanied by a registration fee
to be established by the Secretary of State.
   (c) The Secretary of State shall use the registration fees to
maintain on its Internet Web site a directory of professional
petition firms and to defray any other costs associated with its
requirements as described in this section.
   (d)  A member of a professional petition firm shall review the law
relating to obtaining petition signatures, including prohibitions,
with each paid petition circulator, individually or in a group, as a
condition of his or her hiring. A copy of the training materials
provided to the paid circulators shall be submitted by the firm to
the Secretary of State. A statement, signed by a paid petition
circulator and the individual who conducted the review, that the paid
petition circulator has received the review, required by this
subdivision, of the relevant law relating to obtaining petition
signatures, shall be submitted by the professional petition firm to
the Secretary of State.
   (e) Nothing in this section shall abridge or restrict the
provisions of Section 9021.