BILL NUMBER: SB 279	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 23, 2013
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 9, 2013
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 21, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Hancock

                        FEBRUARY 14, 2013

   An act to amend Section 66704.05 of the Government Code, relating
to the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 279, as amended, Hancock. San Francisco Bay Restoration
Authority.
   Existing law establishes the San Francisco Bay Restoration
Authority to raise and allocate resources for the restoration,
enhancement, protection, and enjoyment of wetlands and wildlife
habitat in the San Francisco Bay and along its shoreline. Existing
law authorizes the authority to levy a benefit assessment, special
tax, or property-related fee consistent with the California
Constitution, as specified. Existing law requires the board of
supervisors of each affected county, when the authority proposes a
measure to levy a special tax for submission to the voters, to call a
special election on the measure and place the measure on the ballot
of the next regularly scheduled statewide election.
   This bill would specify that a measure proposed by the authority
must be submitted to the voters of the authority in accordance with
the provisions of the Elections Code applicable to districts, as
specified. This bill would require the authority to file with the
board of supervisors of each affected county a resolution requesting
consolidation. This bill would require the legal counsel for the
authority to prepare, subject to review and revision by a specified
county counsel, an impartial analysis of the measure. This bill would
require the elections officials of those affected counties to
mutually agree to use the same letter designation for the measure
 and would require the measure to appear on the ballot before
all county, city, and other local measures  .
   By imposing new duties or higher levels of service on local
elections officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local
program.
   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, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 66704.05 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
   66704.05.  (a) If the authority proposes to levy a special tax
pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 66704, the board of
supervisors of the county or counties in which the special tax is
proposed to be levied shall call a special election on the measure.
The special election shall be consolidated with the next regularly
scheduled statewide election and the measure shall be submitted to
the voters in the appropriate counties, consistent with the
requirements of Article XIII C or XIII D of the California
Constitution, as applicable.
   (b) The authority is a district, as defined in Section 317 of the
Elections Code. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a
measure proposed by the authority that requires voter approval shall
be submitted to the voters of the authority in accordance with the
provisions of the Elections Code applicable to districts, including
the provisions of Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 9300) of
Division 9 of the Elections Code.
   (c) The authority shall file with the board of supervisors of each
county in which the measure shall appear on the ballot a resolution
of the authority requesting consolidation, and setting forth the
exact form of the ballot question, in accordance with Section 10403
of the Elections Code.
   (d) The authority shall transmit a copy of the measure to the
legal counsel for the authority, who shall prepare an impartial
analysis of the measure in accordance with Section 9313 of the
Elections Code. The impartial analysis prepared by the legal counsel
for the authority shall be subject to review and revision by the
county counsel of the county that contains the largest population, as
determined by the most recent federal decennial census, among those
counties in which the measure will be submitted to the voters. If
there is no legal counsel for the authority, the authority shall
transmit a copy of the measure to the county counsel of the county
that contains the largest population, as determined by the most
recent federal decennial census, among those counties in which the
measure will be submitted to the voters, and the county counsel shall
prepare the impartial analysis.
   (e) Each county included in the measure shall use the exact ballot
question, impartial analysis, and ballot language provided by the
authority. If two or more counties included in the measure are
required to prepare a translation of ballot materials into the same
language other than English, the county that contains the largest
population, as determined by the most recent federal decennial
census, among those counties  in which the measure will be
submitted to the voters   that are required to prepare a
translation of ballot materials into the same language other than
English  shall prepare the translation and that translation
shall be used by the other county or counties, as applicable.
   (f) Notwithstanding Section 13116 of the Elections Code, if a
measure proposed by the authority pursuant to this article is
submitted to the voters of the authority in two or more counties, the
elections officials of those counties shall mutually agree to use
the same letter designation for the measure and the measure
shall appear on the ballot before all county, city, and other local
measures  .
   (g) The county clerk of each county shall report the results of
the special election to the authority.
  SEC. 2.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.