Print Version (PDF)

AP17:120

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 29, 2017
Contact:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation

Establishes New Standards For Confinement Of Certain Farm Animals; Bans Sale Of Certain Non-Complying Products. Initiative Statute.

SACRAMENTO – Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced the proponent of a new initiative was cleared to begin collecting petition signatures today.

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:

ESTABLISHES NEW STANDARDS FOR CONFINEMENT OF CERTAIN FARM ANIMALS; BANS SALE OF CERTAIN NON-COMPLYING PRODUCTS. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Establishes new minimum space requirements for confining veal calves, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens; requires egg-laying hens be raised in cage-free environment after December 31, 2023. Prohibits certain commercial sales of specified meat and egg products from animals confined in non-complying manner. Defines sales violations as unfair competition. Creates good faith defense for sellers relying upon written certification by suppliers that meat or animal products comply with new confinement standards. Requires State of California to issue implementing regulations. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Potential decrease in state and local tax revenues from farm businesses, likely not to exceed the low millions of dollars annually. Potential state costs ranging up to ten million dollars annually to enforce the measure. (17-0042.)

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1838 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 17-0042.

The proponent of the measure, Debra Jane Murdock, must collect the signatures of 365,880 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for Governor in the November 2014 general election) in order to qualify it for the ballot. The proponents have 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials no later than June 27, 2018. The proponent can be reached at (916) 441-1064.

###

Follow the California Secretary of State on Twitter and Facebook.