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<ns0:Id>20250AB__091999INT</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>99</ns0:VersionNum>
<ns0:History>
<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2025-02-19</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>REVISED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2025-04-09</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:LegislativeInfo>
<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
<ns0:SessionNum>0</ns0:SessionNum>
<ns0:MeasureType>AB</ns0:MeasureType>
<ns0:MeasureNum>919</ns0:MeasureNum>
<ns0:MeasureState>INT</ns0:MeasureState>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Lowenthal</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_ORIGINATING">(Coauthor: Assembly Member Macedo)</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Lowenthal</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Macedo</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Section 2166.9 to the Elections Code, relating to elections. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>elections</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Confidentiality of voter information: cognitively impaired individuals.</ns0:Subject>
</ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:DigestText>
<html:p>Existing law permits an individual to seek confidential voter status and have their residence address, telephone number, and email address declared confidential upon presentation of certification that the person is a participant in among other programs, the Address Confidentiality for Victims of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking program or the person satisfies other specified requirements.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would authorize an individual who holds power of attorney for an individual with a cognitive impairment to apply for confidential voter status on behalf of the individual with cognitive impairment. The bill would require the application to contain a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, that the individual for whom they hold power of attorney has a cognitive impairment. The bill would require the elections official, in producing any
list, roster, or index, to exclude the voters with confidential voter status granted under these provisions.</html:p>
<html:p>The bill would require the Secretary of State to submit to the Legislature, no later than January 10 of each year, a report that includes the total number of applications received for confidential voter status under these provisions. </html:p>
<html:p>By increasing the duties of county elections officials with regard to confidential voter information and by expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no
reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.</html:p>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
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<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>YES</ns0:LocalProgram>
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<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
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<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
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<ns0:Bill id="bill">
<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
<ns0:BillSection id="id_ADBAACD1-7276-4663-9001-15ECCCA8CD95">
<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:ActionLine action="IS_ADDED" ns3:href="urn:caml:codes:ELEC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2F%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'2166.9'%5D)" ns3:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" ns3:type="locator">
Section 2166.9 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Elections Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:LawSection id="id_0932D79F-C2C8-4A21-BF89-A7B50931021D">
<ns0:Num>2166.9.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
(a)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
For purposes of this section:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Authorized individual” means a person who holds power of attorney for an individual with a cognitive impairment.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
“Cognitive impairment” includes dementia, Alzheimer’s, and any other condition that, in the sole discretion of the Secretary of State, impairs memory or judgment.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A county elections official, upon application of an authorized individual, shall grant confidential voter status to an individual with a cognitive impairment and make confidential their residence address, telephone number, and email address appearing on the affidavit of registration, in accordance
with this section.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The application by the authorized individual shall contain a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, that the person is an authorized individual as defined in subdivision (a) and that the individual for whom they hold power of attorney has a cognitive impairment. The application shall be a public record.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The elections official, in producing any list, roster, or index, shall exclude voters with confidential voter status granted under this section.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
If the individual with a cognitive impairment moves to a new county, the authorized individual may reapply for confidential voter status pursuant to subdivision (b). The elections official of the new county, upon notice of the confidential voter moving into the county, shall do all of the following:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Honor the confidential voter status granted by the former county.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Exclude the confidential voter in any list, roster, or index.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
An action in negligence shall not be maintained against any government entity or officer or employee thereof as a result of the disclosure of the information that is the subject of this section except by a showing of gross negligence or willfulness.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(g)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
The Secretary of State shall submit to the Legislature, pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code, no later than January 10 of each year, a report that includes the total number of applications received for confidential voter status pursuant to this section. The report shall disclose the number of individuals granted confidential voter status and shall also
describe any allegations of misuse of confidential voter information for election purposes.
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<ns0:BillSection id="id_C8180FFD-76CC-4E96-8854-8869FF908304">
<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
<ns0:Content>
<html:p>
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII
<html:span class="ThinSpace"/>
B of the California Constitution for certain costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district because, in that regard, this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII
<html:span class="ThinSpace"/>
B of the California Constitution.
</html:p>
<html:p>However, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains other costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall
be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.</html:p>
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<ns0:Correction>
REVISIONS:</ns0:Correction>
<ns0:Correction>
Heading—Line 2.</ns0:Correction>
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