California Senate Bill SCA14 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SCA 14INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Wolk (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Olsen) APRIL 21, 2016 A resolution to propose to the people of the State of California an amendment to the Constitution of the State, by amending Section 8 of Article IV thereof, relating to the Legislature. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCA 14, as introduced, Wolk. Legislative procedure. The California Constitution prohibits either house from passing a bill until the bill with amendments has been printed and distributed to the Members of the Legislature. This measure, the California Legislature Transparency Act, would prohibit voting on a bill until the bill, with any amendments, has been printed, distributed to the members, and published on the Internet, in its final form, for at least 72 hours before the vote, except for certain bills that address a state of emergency declared by the Governor. Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. Resolved by the Senate, the Assembly concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California at its 2015-16 Regular Session commencing on the first day of December 2014, two-thirds of the membership of each house concurring, hereby proposes to the people of the State of California that the Constitution of the State be amended as follows: First-- This measure shall be known, and may be cited, as the "California Legislature Transparency Act." Second-- The people of the State of California find and declare both of the following: (a) It is essential to the maintenance of a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and public manner, and highly desirable that citizens be given the opportunity to fully review every bill and express their views regarding the bill's merits to their elected representatives, before it is passed. (b) Morever, complex bills are often passed before members of the Legislature have any realistic opportunity to review or debate them, resulting in ill-considered legislation. Third-- In enacting this measure, the people of the State of California intend to give the people of the State of California and their elected representatives the necessary time to carefully evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the final version of a bill before a vote occurs by imposing a 72-hour public notice period between the time that the final version is made available to the Legislature and the public and the time that a vote is taken, except in cases of a true emergency declared by the Governor. Fourth-- That Section 8 of Article IV thereof is amended to read: SEC. 8. (a) At regular sessions no bill other than the budget bill may be heard or acted on by committee or either house until the 31st day after the bill is introduced unless the house dispenses with this requirement by rollcall vote entered in the journal, three fourths of the membership concurring. (b)  (1)    The Legislature may make no law except by statute and may enact no statute except by bill. No bill may be passed unless it is read by title on 3 days in each house except that the house may dispense with this requirement by rollcall vote entered in the journal, two thirds of the membership concurring.  No   (2)     No  bill may be passed  until   or ultimately become a statute unless  the  bill   bill,  with  amendments   an   y amendments,  has been  printed and   printed,  distributed to the  members.   members, and published on the Internet, in its final form, for at least 72 hours before the vote, except that this notice period may be waived if the Governor has submitted to the Legislature a written statement that dispensing with this notice period for that bill is necessary to address a state of emergency, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 3 of Article XIII     B, that has been declared by the Governor, and the house considering the bill thereafter dispenses with the notice period for that bill by a separate rollcall vote   entered in the journal, two   thirds of the membership concurring, prior to the vote on the bill.   No   (3)     No  bill may be passed unless, by rollcall vote entered in the journal, a majority of the membership of each house concurs. (c) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subdivision, a statute enacted at a regular session shall go into effect on January 1 next following a 90-day period from the date of enactment of the statute and a statute enacted at a special session shall go into effect on the 91st day after adjournment of the special session at which the bill was passed. (2) A statute, other than a statute establishing or changing boundaries of any legislative, congressional, or other election district, enacted by a bill passed by the Legislature on or before the date the Legislature adjourns for a joint recess to reconvene in the second calendar year of the biennium of the legislative session, and in the possession of the Governor after that date, shall go into effect on January 1 next following the enactment date of the statute unless, before January 1, a copy of a referendum petition affecting the statute is submitted to the Attorney General pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 10 of Article II, in which event the statute shall go into effect on the 91st day after the enactment date unless the petition has been presented to the Secretary of State pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 9 of Article II. (3) Statutes calling elections, statutes providing for tax levies or appropriations for the usual current expenses of the State, and urgency statutes shall go into effect immediately upon their enactment. (d) Urgency statutes are those necessary for immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety. A statement of facts constituting the necessity shall be set forth in one section of the bill. In each house the section and the bill shall be passed separately, each by rollcall vote entered in the journal, two thirds of the membership concurring. An urgency statute may not create or abolish any office or change the salary, term, or duties of any office, or grant any franchise or special privilege, or create any vested right or interest.