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AP19:060

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 6, 2019
CONTACT:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation

Limits Duration of Spousal Support After Divorce or Legal Separation to No More Than Five Years. Initiative Statute.

SACRAMENTO, CA - 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:

LIMITS DURATION OF SPOUSAL SUPPORT AFTER DIVORCE OR LEGAL SEPARATION TO NO MORE THAN FIVE YEARS. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Prohibits courts from ordering spousal support payments lasting longer than five years after a divorce or legal separation. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Unknown net effect on state court costs related to future divorce and legal separation proceedings. (19-0002.)

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1863 and the Attorney General's tracking number is 19-0002.

The proponent of the measure, Steve Clark, must collect signatures of 623,212 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for Governor in the November 2018 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 February 3, 2020*. The proponent can be reached at 7071 Warner Ave, Suite F385, Huntington Beach, CA 92647. No email or phone number was provided.

* Date adjusted for official deadline, which falls on a Sunday (Elec. Code §15)

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