County officers: auditors: qualifications.

Existing law prohibits a person from being considered a legally qualified candidate for specified county offices and the office judge of the superior court unless the person has filed a declaration of candidacy, nomination paper, or statement of write-in candidacy, accompanied by documentation, which includes, among other things, declarations under penalty of perjury, sufficient to establish, in the determination of the official with whom the declaration or statement is filed, that the person meets each qualification established by specified provisions for service in that office. This bill would recast these provisions to expand the documentation to include college transcripts that include training courses taken, degrees, and other supporting documents and to specify that the filed documentation establish that the person meets the above-described qualifications for service in that office. The bill would require the person to file a declaration, under penalty of perjury, that the information contained within the filed documents is true and correct. The bill would specify that the official receiving the documentation is not required to verify specified information, including, the authenticity or accuracy of the submitted documentation. Existing law prohibits a candidate's name from being printed on a ballot for a direct primary unless specified documents are filed with the county elections official. This bill would require that the above-described documentation be filed with the county elections official, if applicable. By imposing new duties on local election officials and by expanding the crime of perjury, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. For a county that has elected to enact an ordinance that adopts certain provisions relative to the county auditor, existing law requires a person elected or appointed to the office of county auditor to meet at least one of specified criteria, including possession of a valid certificate showing a person to be a certified public accountant or a public accountant, as specified. This bill would require that the certificate be an active certificate. The bill would remove public accountant from the above-described criteria. Existing law also includes in the above-described criteria the possession of a baccalaureate degree with a major in accounting, or its equivalent, as specified, if a person has served within the last 5 years in a senior fiscal management position in specified organizations, including a private firm, with similar fiscal responsibilities, as specified. This bill would instead require the person to possess a baccalaureate degree with a major in accounting or a business-related degree, as specified, if the person has served within the last 5 years in a senior fiscal management position in a county, city, or other public agency, or a nonprofit organization, dealing with similar fiscal responsibilities, as described. Existing law also includes in the above-described criteria possession of a certificate issued by the Institute of Internal Auditors showing the person to be a designated professional auditor with 16 college semester units, or their equivalent, in accounting, auditing, or finance. This bill would delete the requirement for possession of a certificate relation to 16 college semester units. Existing law also includes in the above-described criteria service as a county auditor, chief deputy county auditor, or chief assistant county auditor for a continuous period of not less than 3 years. This bill would revise this criteria to delete service as a chief assistant county auditor, and instead include service as an assistant county auditor or an equivalent position. 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.