Elections: referendum.

Existing law provides procedures for the circulation of referendum petitions in municipal elections and requires, among other things, that each section of the referendum petition contain the text of the ordinance or the portion of the ordinance that is the subject of the referendum. This bill would permit each section of the referendum petition to contain an impartial summary of the referendum instead of the text of the ordinance or the portion of the ordinance that is the subject of the referendum. The summary would be drafted by the proponents of the referendum, filed with the local elections official, and approved by the city attorney, as specified. By creating new duties for local elections officials and city attorneys, 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 the statutory provisions noted above.