AB 996

This bill make a number of changes to current law regarding the oversight of

elections in this state.

Federal funds

The governor is authorized under current law to accept funds from the federal

government and to designate the state agency that will receive the funds. Generally,

a designated state agency must expend the funds consistent with federal

requirements for accepting and spending the funds. Under the bill, before the

governor may disburse federal funds to the Elections Commission, the commission

must submit a plan for use of the funds to the Joint Committee on Finance. If the

committee does not schedule a meeting to review the plan within 14 days of receiving

the plan from the commission, the commission may implement the plan and the

governor may disburse the funds. If the committee schedules a meeting to review

the plan within 14 days of receiving the plan from the commission, the commission

may not implement the plan, and the governor may not disburse the funds, without

the committee's approval.

Federal election guidance

The bill requires state agencies to submit federal election guidance, and

communications from the federal government or the Department of Justice related

to that guidance, to the senate majority leader, the senate minority leader, the

speaker of the assembly, the assembly minority leader, the chairpersons of the

standing committees with jurisdiction concerning elections, and the cochairpersons

of the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules no later than 48 hours

after receiving the guidance or communication. Under the bill, a state agency make

not take any action to implement federal election guidance without the approval of

JCRAR, except that if JCRAR does not schedule a meeting to review the guidance

within 30 days of receiving the it, the state agency may implement the guidance.

The bill defines “federal election guidance” as any directive or guidance issued

by the federal department of justice or any other executive branch agency of the

federal government pertaining to elections, including the times, places, and manner

for administering elections in this state.

Registration and voting statistics

Under current law, no later than 30 days after an election, each municipal clerk

must submit a report to the Elections Commission and to the county clerk of the

county where the municipality is located that provides certain registration and

voting statistics. The report must provide the number of voters who voted in the

election; the number of voters who registered before election day; the number of

voters who registered on election day; the number of voters who voted by absentee

ballot; and, generally, the results of the postelection audit to verify election day

registrations.

Under the bill, the report that the municipal clerk submits to the commission