SB 651: Initiative, referendum, and recall petitions: disclosures.

Session Year: 2017-2018
House: Senate
Latest Version Date: 2017-07-05

Version:

The California Constitution and existing statutory law provide for the electors to propose statutes or amendments to the Constitution by initiative. Existing law authorizes a person who is a voter or who is qualified to register to vote in California to circulate an initiative or referendum petition within the state.

Existing law requires that an initiative petition contain specified language advising the public of its right to determine whether the person circulating the petition is a paid signature gatherer or a volunteer. Existing law prescribes other requirements regarding the form, content, and presentation of initiative and referendum petitions.

This bill would require that a state or local initiative, referendum, or recall petition that requires voter signatures and is paid for by a committee, as specified, to include a disclosure statement that identifies the name of the committee, any top contributors, as defined, and the date the top contributors to the committee were calculated. The bill would require that the disclosure be updated within 14 days of any change in the identities of the top contributors. The bill would require a committee that employs one or more paid circulators, as defined, to ensure that the paid circulators use petitions with the updated disclosure within 21 days. The bill would additionally require the committee to submit the disclosure statement and any updates to the Secretary of State for posting on the Secretary of States Internet Web site.

This bill would additionally require a statewide initiative, referendum, or recall petition to include a disclosure, as specified, notifying the public that the petition circulator is receiving money or other valuable consideration for the specific purpose of soliciting signatures of electors, or is a volunteer or employee of a nonprofit organization.The bill would require that a state or local initiative, referendum, or recall petition circulated by a paid circulator, as defined, who is paid by a committee, as specified, to include a disclosure statement identifying the persons from whom the committee received the 3 largest cumulative contributions of $50,000 or more in support of the measure and the name of their employer if 2 or more of these contributors have the same employer. The bill would require this disclosure statement to be updated within 14 days of any change in the 3 largest cumulative contributors. The bill would require a committee that employs one or more paid circulators for the purpose of circulating the petition to submit the disclosure statement and any updates to the Secretary of State for posting on his or her Internet Web site.

Discussed in Hearing