The Attorney General prepares a circulating title and summary of the chief purpose and points of a proposed initiative measure. Proposed initiative measures are cleared for circulation on the day the circulating title and summary is sent to the initiative proponent(s). No petition may be circulated for signatures before it has been cleared to do so by the Attorney General.

Please note: Counties have 8 working days after a proposed initiative measure's circulation deadline (Elections Code section 9030(b)) to notify the Secretary of State's Office if any petition signatures were received. If no signatures are submitted, a proposed initiative measure will fail on the 9th working day after its circulation deadline.

 

1897. (21-0003)
PROHIBITS INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE AS A PUNISHMENT FOR CRIME. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

Summary Date: 06/24/21 | Circulation Deadline: 12/21/21 | Signatures Required: 997,139
Proponent(s): Kelsey Wehsels

Amends California Constitution to prohibit involuntary servitude in all instances, by removing the current exception that allows involuntary servitude to punish crime. For example, requiring inmates to work without pay would not be permitted. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Fiscal effects on state and local government could range from no effect to a significant increase in state and local costs, depending on how the measure is interpreted and implemented. (21-0003.)

1898. (21-0004A1)
AMENDS CHILD DEPENDENCY AND CUSTODY HEARING PROCEDURES. INITIATIVE STATUTE.

Summary Date: 07/02/21 | Circulation Deadline: 12/29/21 | Signatures Required: 623,212
Proponent(s): Karena A. Feng

Amends certain laws regarding child dependency and custody proceedings to provide a right to jury trial, including in hearings to terminate parental rights, establish guardianship, or make permanent prior temporary custody placements, and increase burden of proof for allegations against parents in hearings to terminate parental rights. Authorizes specified parties to reopen closed dependency court proceedings where a jury trial was not provided, in order to seek modification of prior orders regarding the permanent placement of children. Provides children a right to counsel of their own choice in dependency court. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Unknown fiscal impact on state courts that would depend significantly on how the measure is interpreted and implemented by the courts and the number of individuals who choose to reopen closed juvenile dependency cases. Potential unknown increase in county costs – some or all of which could be shifted to the state – that would depend on various factors including the number of individuals who choose to reopen closed juvenile dependency cases. (21-0004A1.)

1899. (21-0005)
DECRIMINALIZES PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOMS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.

Summary Date: 09/16/21 | Circulation Deadline: 03/15/22 | Signatures Required: 623,212
Proponent(s): Ryan Munevar

For individuals 21 and over, decriminalizes under state law the cultivation, manufacture, processing, distribution, transportation, possession, storage, consumption, and retail sale of psilocybin mushrooms, the hallucinogenic chemical compounds contained in them, and edible products and extracts derived from psilocybin mushrooms. Authorizes research and use of psilocybin mushrooms for treatment by qualified healthcare practitioners. Requires an “independent professional certifying body” to establish qualifications for healthcare practitioners who provide psilocybin mushroom-assisted therapy and to create protocols for such therapy. Requires state agencies to adopt and implement these qualification requirements and protocols. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Reduced costs, not likely to exceed a few million dollars annually, to state and local governments related to enforcing psilocybin-related offenses, handling the related criminal cases in the court system, and incarcerating and supervising psilocybin offenders. Annual state costs to regulate psilocybin businesses and treatment providers, ranging from minimal to the tens of millions of dollars. These costs could eventually be partially or fully offset by fee revenue. Potential increase in state and local tax revenues, not likely to exceed a few million dollars annually. (21-0005.)

1900. (21-0006A1)
REQUIRES STATE FUNDING OF RELIGIOUS AND OTHER PRIVATE SCHOOL EDUCATION. INITIATIVE CONSITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND STATUTE.

Summary Date: 10/12/21 | Circulation Deadline: 04/11/22 | Signatures Required: 997,139
Proponent(s): Michael Alexander, Marc Ang, Dale R. Broome, Brian Hawkins, Stephen Smith

Requires state to provide yearly voucher payments ($14,000 initially, adjusted annually) into Education Savings Accounts for K-12 students attending religious and other private schools. Funds payments through General Fund and local property tax revenues currently allocated to public (including charter) schools. Eliminates constitutional prohibition on public funding of religious and other private schools. Prevents state from requiring these schools to meet certain requirements (concerning teacher credentialing, curriculum, or disciplinary policies) as condition of funding. Any excess funds in Education Savings Accounts could be used at eligible higher education/vocational schools. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased annual state costs, probably in the range of $4.7 billion to $7 billion, to provide state funding for students currently enrolled in private school or homeschool. Depending on how the state implements the measure, these costs could be paid with reductions to funding for public schools and/or reductions to other programs in the state budget. Increased annual state costs, probably at least several billion dollars, to the extent students move from public to private schools. Lower spending on public schools roughly would offset these costs. Likely reduced state costs for school bonds, potentially reaching a couple hundred million dollars annually within the next few decades. (21-0006A1.)

1901. (21-0007)
AUTHORIZES ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE GATHERING FOR INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, AND RECALL PETITIONS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.

Summary Date: 10/12/21 | Circulation Deadline: 04/11/22 | Signatures Required: 623,212
Proponent(s): Michael Freeman Liddell

Requires Secretary of State to develop a system that allows voters to view state and local initiative, referendum, and recall petitions on Secretary of State’s website and to sign them electronically directly on the website, or to download, print, and sign the printed petitions. Requires Secretary of State or local elections official to verify these signatures. Requires Secretary of State to invite arguments for and against petitions, and to post submitted arguments on website. Requires Secretary of State’s website to include ongoing tally of each measure’s signatures received electronically or on downloaded petitions. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: One-time state and local government costs in the tens of millions of dollars or more to develop an online system for electronic petition signature gathering. Ongoing annual costs of millions of dollars or more to maintain the new system. Potential net costs or savings due to changed state and local government processes for verifying petition signatures. (21-0007.)

1902. (21-0008A2)
ELIMINATES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FOR TEACHERS, POLICE OFFICERS, NURSES, FIREFIGHTERS, AND OTHER PUBLIC EMPLOYEES. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

Summary Date: 10/13/21 | Circulation Deadline: 04/11/22 | Signatures Required: 997,139
Proponent(s): Timothy Draper

Eliminates collective bargaining between state/local governments and labor organizations (including unions) representing teachers, police officers, nurses, firefighters, and other public employees about wages, benefits, hours, labor disputes, or other work conditions. Requires the Governor-appointed State Personnel Board to establish wages and benefits for state employees. Prohibits new or amended public-employee labor agreements, including extensions, but does not impact existing agreements. Authorizes state/local governments to provide up to 12 months of severance pay to employees who resign within three months of measure’s enactment. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: One-time costs, potentially in the range of hundreds of millions to low billions of dollars, across state and local governments. Long-term fiscal effect depends on future actions by state and local policy makers. (21-0008A2.)

1903. (21-0009A1)
ALLOWS NEW TYPES OF GAMBLING, INCLUDING SPORTS WAGERING. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

Summary Date: 10/18/21 | Circulation Deadline: 04/18/22 | Signatures Required: 997,139
Proponent(s): Helen Fisicaro, Raul Peralez, Tasha Cerda

Allows licensed gambling establishments, such as card rooms, to conduct additional games that are played with cards or tiles. Legalizes in-person, online, and mobile sports wagering, which currently is prohibited, for persons 21 years or older. Imposes 15% tax and other fees on sports-wagering revenues; directs revenues first to enforcement and problem-gambling programs, and any remaining funds to public education, homelessness, affordable housing, and mental health programs. Prohibits marketing of sports wagering to persons under 21. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased state revenues, potentially reaching the mid-hundreds of millions of dollars annually, from sports wagering taxes and payments (such as licensing fees). Some portion of these revenues would reflect a shift from other existing state and local revenues. Increased state regulatory costs, potentially reaching the high tens of millions of dollars annually, that would be fully or partially offset by the increased revenue or payments required by gaming agreements between tribes and the state. (21-0009A1.)

1904. (21-0010A1)
AMENDS LAWS REGARDING POLICE OFFICER USE OF FORCE, TRAINING, BODY CAMERA, AND BUDGET REQUIREMENTS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.

Summary Date: 10/27/21 | Circulation Deadline: 04/25/22 | Signatures Required: 623,212
Proponent(s): Jai Hudson

Seeks to limit when police officers may be shielded from liability for excessive force under the federal “qualified immunity” defense. Requires officers found guilty of excessive force be fired and barred from future service. Requires officers report, and intervene to stop, use of excessive force by other officers. Requires use of body cameras during all on-duty interactions with public, and online posting of all incident recordings. Requires 20 percent of police departments’ budgets and on-duty officer time be used for training. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased state and local government costs, which could reach the billions of dollars annually, primarily related to the use of body cameras and increased use of force training. (21-0010A1.)

1905. (21-0011A1)
REQUIRES STATE FUNDING OF RELIGIOUS AND OTHER PRIVATE SCHOOL EDUCATION. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND STATUTE.

Summary Date: 10/28/21 | Circulation Deadline: 04/26/22 | Signatures Required: 997,139
Proponent(s): Richard Grenell, Cecilia Iglesias, Maryam Qudrat, Nanxun “Saga” Conroy

Requires state to provide yearly voucher payments ($13,000 initially, adjusted annually) into Education Savings Accounts for K-12 students attending religious and other private schools. Expands eligibility in phases; lower income families eligible first. Funds payments through General Fund and local property tax revenues currently allocated to public (including charter) schools. Eliminates constitutional prohibition on public funding of religious and other private schools. Prevents state from conditioning funding on these schools meeting certain requirements. Up to $60,000 excess funds in Education Savings Accounts could be used at higher education/vocational schools. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased annual state costs, likely growing to $4 billion to $6 billion by the end of the five-year implementation period, to provide state funding for students currently enrolled in private school. Depending on how the state implements the measure, these costs could be paid for with reductions to funding for public schools and/or reductions to other programs in the state budget. Increased annual state costs, probably at least several billion dollars, for students who move from public to private schools. Lower spending on public schools would more than offset these costs, likely producing state savings of several hundred million dollars annually. Likely reduced state costs for school bonds, potentially reaching a couple hundred million dollars annually within the next few decades. (21-0011A1.)

1906. (21-0012)
AUTHORIZES ONLINE VOTING. INITIATIVE STATUTE.

Summary Date: 10/28/21 | Circulation Deadline: 04/26/22 | Signatures Required: 623,212
Proponent(s): Michael Freeman Liddell

Requires Secretary of State to develop online voting system that provides registered voters the option to cast an online ballot (1) from an official online voting machine located at a polling place in the next statewide election, and (2) for subsequent elections, from any location and device (including personal devices). Requires Secretary of State to establish procedures to protect the secrecy of online ballots, including procedures to confirm the identity of the voter. Criminalizes efforts to interfere with online voting system and specifies penalties. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: One-time costs to government, in the range of hundreds of millions of dollars or more, likely to be paid at least in part by the state to establish a new statewide online voting system. Ongoing costs to government, in the range of tens of millions of dollars or more, likely to be paid at least in part by the state each year to maintain the new online voting system and implement other provisions of the measure. (21-0012.)

1907. (21-0013)
REQUIRES ON-SITE LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL AT KIDNEY DIALYSIS CLINICS AND ESTABLISHES OTHER STATE REQUIREMENTS. INITIATIVE STATUTE.

Summary Date: 10/29/21 | Circulation Deadline: 04/27/22 | Signatures Required: 623,212
Proponent(s): Sean Fleming, Jonathan Everhart

Requires physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, with six months’ relevant experience, on site during treatment at outpatient kidney dialysis clinics; authorizes exemption for staffing shortage if qualified medical professional is available through telehealth. Requires clinics to disclose to patients all physicians with clinic ownership interests of five percent or more. Requires clinics to report dialysis-related infection data to state. Prohibits clinics from closing or substantially reducing services without state approval. Prohibits clinics from refusing to treat patients based on source of payment. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased state and local government costs likely in the low tens of millions of dollars annually.(21-0013.)

1908. (21-0014A1)
DIRECTS TWO PERCENT OF GENERAL FUND TO WATER SUPPLY PROJECTS; LIMITS ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW FOR ELIGIBLE PROJECTS. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND STATUTE.

Summary Date: 11/01/21 | Circulation Deadline: 05/02/22 | Signatures Required: 997,139
Proponent(s): Edward Arthur Ring, Shawn Dewane, Wayne Western Jr., Stephen Rex Sheldon, Geoffrey Todd Vanden Heuvel

Transfers two percent of annual General Fund revenues to Water Supply Infrastructure Trust Account for water infrastructure projects until state increases its annual water supply by 5,000,000 acre-feet. Prioritizes funding projects that are approved or ready to start. Authorizes issuance of general obligation bonds for water projects to be repaid with revenues in Trust Account. Limits environmental review of eligible projects through expedited California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process. Limits Coastal Commission review of specified projects; authorizes California Natural Resources Agency to override Coastal Commission decisions. Limits constitutional challenges to approved projects. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Total costs of several tens of billions of dollars for water projects, potentially totaling more than $100 billion, to develop 5 million acre-feet of additional annual water supply. Dedicate between $2.5 billion and $4 billion per year of existing state General Fund revenues for the next few decades to support the above costs. These funds would therefore not be available to support other public services funded by the state. Unknown fiscal impacts on local governments, but likely some net savings from state funds replacing monies that local governments otherwise would have spent on water supply projects. (21-0014A1.)

1909. (21-0015A1)
ELIMINATES PROPERTY TAX REASSESSMENT FOR CERTAIN FAMILY REAL PROPERTY TRANSFERS. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

Summary Date: 11/04/21 | Circulation Deadline: 05/03/22 | Signatures Required: 997,139
Proponent(s): Jon Coupal

Exempts from property tax reassessment transfers of primary residences between parents and children (and grandparents to grandchildren if parents are deceased), regardless of value (removing cap set in 2020 by Proposition 19). Also exempts transfers between same family members of other real property valued up to $2.4 million (e.g., second homes, rental/business properties). Reduces local property tax revenues and eliminates California Fire Response Fund created by Proposition 19. Requires state to reimburse local agencies for property tax losses due to Proposition 19’s other tax changes. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased state costs of hundreds of millions of dollars per year to cover recent local government property tax losses. These costs would grow over time, possibly to $1 billion or more per year. Local government funding would decline by tens of millions of dollars per year. Over time, these losses would grow to hundreds of millions of dollars per year. Schools would have losses of similar amounts. (21-0015A1)

1910. (21-0016A1)
PROVIDES THAT LOCAL LAND-USE AND ZONING LAWS OVERRIDE CONFLICTING STATE LAWS. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

Summary Date: 11/01/21 | Circulation Deadline: 05/02/22 | Signatures Required: 997,139
Proponent(s): Bill Brand, John Heath, Peggy Huang, Jovita Mendoza, Dennis Richards

Provides that city and county land-use and zoning laws (including local housing laws) override all conflicting state laws, except in certain circumstances related to three areas of statewide concern: (1) the California Coastal Act of 1976; (2) siting of power plants; or (3) development of water, communication, or transportation infrastructure projects. Prevents state legislature and local legislative bodies from passing laws invalidating voter-approved local land-use or zoning initiatives. Prohibits state from changing, granting, or denying funding to local governments based on their implementation of this measure. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Fiscal effects of the measure depend on future decisions by the cities and counties and therefore are unknown. (21-0016A1.)

1911. (21-0017A1)
ALLOWS ONLINE AND MOBILE SPORTS WAGERING. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND STATUTE.

Summary Date: 11/04/21 | Circulation Deadline: 05/03/22 | Signatures Required: 997,139
Proponent(s): Kurt R. Oneto, John J. Moffatt

Legalizes online and mobile sports wagering, which currently is prohibited, for persons 21 years and older. Such wagering may be offered only by federally recognized Indian tribes and eligible businesses that contract with them. Individuals placing bets must be in California and not located on Indian lands. Imposes 10% tax on sports-wagering revenues and licensing fees. Directs tax and licensing revenues first to regulatory costs, then remainder to: 85% to homelessness programs; 15% to nonparticipating tribes. Specifies licensing, regulatory, consumer-protection, and betting-integrity standards for sports wagering. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased state revenues, potentially reaching the mid-hundreds of millions of dollars annually, from online sports wagering-related taxes, licensing fees, and penalties. Some portion of these revenues would reflect a shift from other existing state and local revenues. Increased state regulatory costs, potentially reaching the mid-tens of millions of dollars annually, that would be fully or partially offset by the increased revenues. (21-0017A1.)

1912. (21-0018)
LIMITS STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS’ AUTHORITY TO RESPOND TO PUBLIC-HEALTH AND OTHER EMERGENCIES. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

Summary Date: 11/04/21 | Circulation Deadline: 05/03/22 | Signatures Required: 997,139
Proponent(s): John B. Estill, Richard C. Altmaier

Restricts state and local officials’ authority to issue orders restricting business or school operations during public-health and certain other emergencies, including storm, drought, energy shortage, or cyberterrorism. Limits orders’ duration to 30 days, unless extended by Legislature or local governing body. Prohibits orders from distinguishing between businesses based on size. Requires orders to permit schools to remain open to maximum extent possible. Requires online publication of information justifying orders; prohibits officials from relying on other information to defend orders against legal challenge. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Unknown fiscal effect on the state and local governments due to requirements that could change the use of shutdown orders during emergencies. (21-0018.)

 

*Elections Code section 9034 requires that once proponent(s) of a proposed initiative measure have gathered 25% of the number of signatures required (currently 155,803 for an initiative statute and 249,352 for a constitutional amendment) proponent(s) must immediately certify that they have done so under penalty of perjury to the Secretary of State.

Upon receipt of the certification, the Secretary of State must provide copies of the proposed initiative measure and the circulating title and summary to the Senate and the Assembly. Each house is required to assign the proposed initiative measure to its appropriate committees and hold joint public hearings, at least 131 days before the date of the election at which the measure is to be voted on. However, the Legislature cannot amend the proposed initiative measure or prevent it from appearing on the ballot.