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Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation

Abortion Access Restriction.  Parental Notification and Waiting

Period for Females under 18  Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

SACRAMENTO – Secretary of State Alex Padilla today announced the proponent of a new initiative may begin collecting petition signatures for his measure. 

 The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent and to the Secretary of State, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponent and to county elections officials. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure is as follows:

 ABORTION ACCESS RESTRICTION. PARENTAL NOTIFICATION AND WAITING PERIOD FOR FEMALES UNDER 18. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Changes California Constitution to prohibit abortion for unemancipated minor until 48 hours after physician or other trained and licensed medical professional notifies her parent/legal guardian in writing. Provides exceptions for medical emergency, parental waiver, or parental abuse documented by notarized statement from law enforcement or relatives. Permits judge to waive notice if minor appears personally in court and proves maturity or waiver is in her best interest. Requires reporting of specific abortion information to State. Physicians/medical professionals subject to suit for 12 years. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: State administrative costs of at least $1 million, and potentially several million dollars, annually. Uncertain net fiscal impact on state health and social services programs, potentially in the millions of dollars annually, to the extent the measure results in changes to the abortion and/or birth rates in the state. (14-0013.)

 The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1663 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 14-0013. 

 The proponent for the measure, John Smith, must collect signatures of 585,407 registered voters (eight percent of the total votes cast for governor in the 2014 gubernatorial election) in order to qualify it for the ballot. The proponent has 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials by August 19, 2015.  The proponent can be reached at john.smith.jsjs@gmail.com.  No phone number was provided.

 To sign up for regular ballot measure updates via email, RSS feed, or Twitter, go to www.sos.ca.gov/administration/multimedia.

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