Initiative and referendum measures: title and summary.

Senators Niello and Umberg propose shifting responsibility for preparing ballot measure titles and summaries from California's Attorney General to the Legislative Analyst's office, fundamentally altering how voters receive information about proposed initiatives and referenda.

The legislation transfers all duties related to crafting circulating titles, ballot summaries, and fiscal impact statements for ballot measures to the Legislative Analyst, while maintaining existing requirements for length, clarity and neutrality. These materials must continue providing voters with impartial explanations of each measure's chief purposes and potential fiscal effects.

Under the bill's provisions, committees circulating petitions must create standardized "Official Top Funders" sheets disclosing major financial backers, either on the petition itself or as a separate document shown to potential signers. The Secretary of State will post these disclosures online to enhance transparency around ballot measure financing. Initiative proponents must still pay a $2,000 filing fee, refundable if their measure qualifies for the ballot within two years.

The changes would take effect only upon voter approval of a related constitutional amendment (SCA 3) in the 2025-26 legislative session. The bill preserves current procedures until that time, with parallel code sections establishing the Legislative Analyst's new responsibilities once the transition occurs. County election officials must then update their processes to reflect the Legislative Analyst's role in preparing measure summaries and fiscal analyses.