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AP18:021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 26, 2018
CONTACT:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation

Eliminates Certain Liability For Lead-Paint Manufacturers. Authorizes Bonds to Fund Structural and Environmental Remediation Projects. 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:

ELIMINATES CERTAIN LIABILITY FOR LEAD-PAINT MANUFACTURERS. AUTHORIZES BONDS TO FUND STRUCTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION PROJECTS. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Declares that lead paint in homes is not a public nuisance. Eliminates liability of lead-paint manufacturers—in cases pending on or after November 1, 2017—for claims that lead paint in homes causes a public nuisance. Authorizes $2 billion in state general obligation bonds to fund grants for certain structural and environmental remediation projects as follows: $1.5 billion for certain residential units; $400 million for schools; and $100 million for senior housing facilities. Appropriates money from the General Fund to repay bonds. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: State General Fund costs of $3.9 billion to pay off principal ($2 billion) and interest ($1.9 billion) on bonds over a period of 35 years. Annual payments would average $110 million, with payments lower in the initial and final few years and somewhat higher in the intervening years. Reduction of several hundred million dollars or more in funding for local programs to clean up lead-based paint in homes.

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1845 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 17-0049.

The proponent of the measure, Randy Perry, 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 proponent has 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials no later than July 25, 2018. The proponent can be reached c/o Kurt Oneto at (916) 446-6752.

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