The Attorney General prepares a circulating title and summary of the chief purpose and points of a proposed initiative measure. Proposed initiative measures are cleared for circulation on the day the circulating title and summary is sent to the initiative proponent(s). No petition may be circulated for signatures before it has been cleared to do so by the Attorney General.

Please note: Counties have 8 business days after the filing of a petition to determine the total number of signatures affixed to the petition and transmit this information to the Secretary of State's office (Elections Code section 9030(b)). If no signatures are submitted, a proposed initiative measure will fail on the 9th business day after its circulation deadline.

1972. (23-0030A1)
LEGALIZES ONLINE AND IN-PERSON SPORTS WAGERING AND OTHER NEW TYPES OF GAMBLING. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND STATUTE.

Summary Date: 01/02/24 | Circulation Deadline: 07/01/24 | Signatures Required: 874,641
Proponent(s): Ryan Tyler Walz

Legalizes online sports wagering statewide, and in-person sports wagering, roulette, and dice games on tribal lands, all of which currently are prohibited, if operated by federally recognized Indian tribes under gaming compacts approved by Legislature, the model compact approved by this measure, or state law enacted by this measure. Prohibits sports wagering by persons under 21. Requires participating tribes to pay up to 25% of sports-wagering profits to nonparticipating tribes and up to 1% to the state for regulatory costs. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased state revenues that could reach into the tens of millions of dollars annually, depending on how the measure is implemented and legally interpreted. Some portion of these revenues would reflect a shift from other existing state and local revenues. Increased state regulatory costs, potentially in the low- to mid-tens of millions of dollars annually. Some or all of these costs would be offset by the increased revenue or reimbursements to the state. (23-0030A1)

1973. (23-0031)
ALLOWS FOR LEGALIZATION OF ONLINE AND IN-PERSON SPORTS WAGERING. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

Summary Date: 01/02/24 | Circulation Deadline: 07/01/24 | Signatures Required: 874,641
Proponent(s): Ryan Tyler Walz

Amends California Constitution to authorize the Legislature or the voters by initiative to legalize online and in-person sports wagering, which currently is prohibited, if offered by federally recognized Indian tribes. Authorizes the Legislature to approve gaming compacts with tribes choosing to offer sports wagering. Such compacts must:

  • prohibit wagering by persons under 21;
  • limit wagering to professional, collegiate, and amateur sporting events, and prohibit wagering on amateur sports involving children or events involving animals other than horses; and
  • require revenue sharing with non-gaming tribes and the state.

Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: No immediate fiscal effects on the state and local governments as the Legislature would be allowed—but not required—to authorize sports wagering. If the Legislature authorizes sports wagering, uncertain increase in state and local government costs and revenues depending on various factors including the specific regulatory and other requirements adopted. Federal courts have generally limited tribal payments to state and local governments to the amount necessary to cover their regulation and other costs related to gaming activities. (23-0031)

1974. (23-0032A1)
DECRIMINALIZES PSYCHEDELICS FOR PERSONAL USE, MEDICAL TREATMENT, AND RESEARCH. INITIATIVE STATUTE.

Summary Date: 01/02/24 | Circulation Deadline: 07/01/24 | Signatures Required: 546,651
Proponent(s): David Hodges, Tomas Garrett, Chelsea Candelaria, Carsten Fisher

For individuals 18 and over, decriminalizes personal possession, cultivation, and use of psychedelic plants and substances, including psilocybin, DMT, ibogaine, LSD, MDMA, mescaline, and peyote. Allows medical professionals to recommend psychedelic treatments for mental health conditions and other health disorders. Allows research into therapeutic and medical applications of psychedelics. Allows businesses to grow and manufacture psychedelics, and to sell psychedelics to individuals for medical purposes. Requires psychedelics businesses with 50+ employees to hold annual employee votes regarding unionization. Authorizes resentencing, reduction, or dismissal of prior psychedelics-related convictions. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Potential reduction in state and local regulatory revenues that could result in regulatory costs exceeding revenues by more than $100 million annually. Alternatively, changes in regulatory costs could be roughly offset by changes in regulatory revenue. The actual effect would depend on the way the measure is legally interpreted and implemented. Uncertain net effect on state and local tax revenue that would depend on the way the measure is legally interpreted and implemented. The potential revenue decrease could reach the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The potential revenue increase would likely be significantly smaller. Net reduction in state and local costs that could eventually reach around a few million dollars annually related to enforcing entheogenic substance-related offenses; handling the related criminal cases, resentencing, and sealing of records in the court system; and incarcerating and supervising people convicted of entheogenic substance-related offences. (23-0032A1)

1975. (23-0034)
ESTABLISHES NEW “UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA ONLINE.” INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

Summary Date: 01/10/24 | Circulation Deadline: 07/08/24 | Signatures Required: 874,641
Proponent(s): Boyd Roberts

California’s public higher education systems— University of California, California State University, and California Community Colleges— currently offer courses in person and online. This measure would amend the California Constitution to require creation of an online public university named “University of California Online” with two divisions: one providing online courses for credit towards an academic degree, open to anyone who pays tuition; and one providing free public access to all online courses not for credit. Requires tuition for for-credit courses to be based on their cost, and additional fees for most out-of-state students. Requires State Treasurer to issue bonds to fund University of California Online, repaid from tuition. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Operating a new public online university could cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars to low billions of dollars annually. All of the cost is to be covered through student tuition revenue generated by the new university. The measure is not intended to have any direct fiscal impact on state or local governments. (23-0034)

1976. (23-0035A1)
CREATES NEW MONETARY PENALTIES FOR INJURIES TO MINORS CAUSED BY CERTAIN SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES. INITIATIVE STATUTE.

Summary Date: 02/21/24 | Circulation Deadline: 08/19/24 | Signatures Required: 546,651
Proponent(s): James P. Steyer

Under current law, individuals may sue to recover their actual monetary damages for injuries caused by a company’s negligence (failure to act with ordinary care). This measure would make social media companies with annual revenues exceeding $100,000,000 liable for additional monetary penalties for injuries (such as addiction or self-harm) caused by the platform’s negligence to persons under 18 years old. Penalties would be either: (1) $5,000 per violation, up to $1,000,000 per minor, or (2) three times the minor’s actual damages. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Increased state court costs likely in the millions of dollars depending on the type and volume of additional civil cases filed in state courts and how they are resolved. Uncertain impact on state and local tax revenue that would depend primarily on how social media platforms respond to the measure. (23-0035A1)

*Elections Code section 9034 requires that once proponent(s) of a proposed initiative measure have gathered 25% of the number of signatures required (currently 136,663 for an initiative statute and 218,661 for a constitutional amendment) proponent(s) must immediately certify that they have done so under penalty of perjury to the Secretary of State.

Upon receipt of the certification, the Secretary of State must provide copies of the proposed initiative measure and the circulating title and summary to the Senate and the Assembly. Each house is required to assign the proposed initiative measure to its appropriate committees and hold joint public hearings, at least 131 days before the date of the election at which the measure is to be voted on. However, the Legislature cannot amend the proposed initiative measure or prevent it from appearing on the ballot.