Ballot measures: fiscal analysis.

Existing law directs the Attorney General, in preparing a circulating title and summary for a proposed ballot initiative, to include an estimate of the amount of increase or decrease of revenues or costs to the state. Existing law requires the Department of Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to jointly make and deliver such an estimate to the Attorney General so that he or she may include it in the circulating title and summary. This bill would, based on the fiscal analysis by the Department of Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, that a measure which would establish a new or expanded program costing more than $1,000,000 in any year without providing new revenues or eliminating existing programs to offset those costs, require that specified language be provided to the Attorney General which may be included in the circulating title and summary advising that the proposed initiative does not include sufficient funding to pay the cost of the measure. Existing law directs the Legislative Analyst to prepare an unbiased fiscal analysis of a measure that is included in the ballot pamphlet stating whether the measure would result in increased or decreased costs to the state and an estimate of those costs or savings. This bill also would require, if a fiscal analysis by the Legislative Analyst determines that a measure would establish a new or expanded program costing more than $1,000,000 in any year without providing new revenues or eliminating existing programs to offset those costs, that specified language be added to the ballot pamphlet advising that the proposed measure does not include sufficient funding to pay the cost of the measure. This bill would also make technical changes to conform provisions of the Political Reform Act of 1974 and parallel provisions in the Elections Code relating to the ballot pamphlet. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, generally provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house and compliance with specified procedural requirements. The act also provides that, notwithstanding this requirement, the Legislature may amend specified provisions to add to the ballot pamphlet information regarding candidates or other information by a majority vote. This bill would find and declare that it would permit or require additional information to be included in the ballot pamphlet. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 9087 of the Elections Code and Section 88003 of the Government Code, proposed by AB 732, to be operative only if AB 732 and this bill are both enacted, both bills become effective on or before January 1, 2012, and this bill is enacted last.