Initiative measures: filing fee.

Existing law requires the proponent of an initiative measure, prior to circulating the initiative petition for signatures, to submit the text of the proposed initiative measure to the Attorney General for preparation of a circulating title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the measure. Existing law further requires the proponent, at the time of submitting the text of the proposed measure to the Attorney General, to pay a fee of $200, which is placed in a trust fund and refunded to the proponent if the measure qualifies for the ballot within 2 years from the date the summary is furnished to the proponent. If the measure does not qualify within that period, the fee is paid into the General Fund. This bill would increase the amount of the fee to $500 beginning in 2011, $1,000 beginning in 2013, $1,500 beginning in 2015, and $2,000 beginning in 2017.