Article 6. Referendum of California Government Code >> Division 3. >> Title 2. >> Part 4.7. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 6.

(a) As used in this article and Article 7 (commencing with Section 13995.65), "assessment level" means the estimated gross dollar amount received by assessment from all assessed businesses on an annual basis, and "assessment formula" means the allocation method used within each industry segment (for example, percentage of gross revenue or percentage of transaction charges).
  (b) Commencing on January 1, 2003, a referendum shall be called every two years, and the commission, by adopted resolution, shall determine the slate of individuals who will run for commissioner. The resolution shall also cover, but not be limited to, the proposed assessment level for each industry category, based upon specified assessment formulae, together with necessary information to enable each assessed business to determine what its individual assessment would be. Commencing with the referendum held in 2007 and every six years thereafter, the resolution shall also cover the termination or continuation of the commission. The resolution may also include an amended industry segment allocation formula and the percentage allocation of assessments between industry categories and segments. The commission may specify in the resolution that a special, lower assessment rate that was set pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 13995.30 for a particular business will no longer apply due to changes in the unique circumstance that originally justified the lower rate. The resolution may include up to three possible assessment levels for each industry category, from which the assessed businesses will select one assessment level for each industry category by plurality weighted vote.
  (c) The commission shall deliver to the director the resolution described in subdivision (b). The director shall call a referendum containing the information required by subdivision (b) plus any additional matters complying with the procedures of subdivision (b) of Section 13995.62.
  (d) When the director calls a referendum, all assessed businesses shall be sent a ballot for the referendum. Every ballot that the secretary receives by the ballot deadline shall be counted, utilizing the weighted formula adopted initially by the selection committee, and subsequently amended by referendum.
  (e) If the commission's assessment level is significantly different from what was projected when the existing assessment formula was last approved by referendum, a majority of members, by weighted votes of an industry category, may petition for a referendum to change the assessment formula applicable to that industry category.
  (f) If the referendum includes more than one possible assessment rate for each industry category, the rate with the plurality of weighted votes within a category shall be adopted.
  (g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if the commission delivers to the director a resolution pertaining to any matter described in subdivision (b), the director shall call a referendum at a time or times other than as specified in this section. Each referendum shall contain only those matters contained in the resolution.
  (h) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the director shall identify, to the extent reasonably feasible, those businesses that would become newly assessed due to a change in category, segment, threshold, or exemption status sought via referendum, and provide those businesses the opportunity to vote in that referendum.

(a) The costs of marketing and promoting the initial referendum shall be provided by private payments. The costs of the initial referendum shall be paid by the office. The office shall coordinate the referendum to ensure that it is unbiased and factually correct. In the event that the initial referendum fails in the first attempt at passage, subsequent attempts at passage of the initial referendum shall be permitted, except that the costs of conducting the subsequent attempts at passage, along with the costs of marketing and promoting those attempts at passage, shall be provided by private payments. Subsequent attempts at passage shall be conducted in the manner specified in this subdivision. In the event that the initial referendum passes, whether on the first attempt at passage or a subsequent attempt at passage, the private payers and the office shall be reimbursed for all of their respective initial referendum costs from assessments first received.
  (b) The ongoing referendum costs shall be paid by the commission.

(a) Assessed businesses may place on a referendum pursuant to Section 13995.60 additional candidates for commissioner, a different assessment level, or both.
  (b) A minimum of 20 percent of the assessed businesses (calculated by weighted percentages) must signify their agreement to add different assessment levels to the items included in the referendum.
  (c) A minimum of 10 percent of the assessed businesses (calculated by weighted percentages) must signify their agreement to add candidates for commissioner to the items included in the referendum.

(a) Upon receipt of the resolution required by Section 13995.60, including any assessed business referendum request pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 13995.52 or Section 13995.62, the director shall establish a referendum period not to exceed 60 days. If the director determines that the referendum period so established does not provide sufficient time for the balloting, the director may extend the referendum period not more than 15 additional days. At the close of the referendum period, the director shall count and tabulate the ballots filed during the referendum period.
  (b) The director shall establish a deadline for adoption of the resolution described in subdivision (a). If the commission fails to meet this deadline, or if the adopted resolution fails to meet the requirements of this chapter, then assessed businesses may present a slate of candidates to the director not later than 60 days following the deadline established for the commission resolution. A minimum of 10 percent of weighted voters shall sign the document presenting the slate.
  (c) In the event that the director does not receive a resolution required by Section 13995.60 from the commission by the deadline established pursuant to subdivision (b) or the resolution does not comply with the requirements of this chapter and the assessed businesses fail to present a slate pursuant to subdivision (b), then the director shall select a slate of commissioners and this slate, added to any assessed business referendum requests pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 13995.52 or Section 13995.62, shall constitute the items included in the referendum.

(a) Each assessed business is entitled to a weighted vote in each referendum. In calculating weighted votes, each assessed business receives a vote equal to the relative assessment paid by that business. An assessed business paying nine hundred dollars ($900) in annual assessments has three times the weighted vote of a business paying three hundred dollars ($300). Weighted votes are used to determine all issues on the referendum. The initial referendum, and any referendum item to terminate the commission, must be approved by a majority of the weighted votes cast at the referendum. The amount of assessment and selection of commissioners is determined by the most weighted votes, whether or not there is a majority.
  (b) For purposes of voting in any referendum, each assessed business is part of one industry category and one industry segment, and for voting purposes only, a business with revenue in more than one industry category or industry segment shall only be included in the category and segment in which it earns the most gross revenue.
  (c) Each assessed business is eligible to vote for each item on the referendum, except that an assessed business can only vote for commissioners representing its industry category, and industry segment formulae for its industry segment.
  (d) A business is not eligible to vote unless it has paid all assessments and fines outstanding as of a date established by the director.

Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 13995.64, if an assessed business within the passenger car rental category pays an assessment greater than the maximum assessment, determined by the commission for other industry categories, the weighted percentage assigned to that assessed business shall be the same as though its assessment were equal to the highest maximum assessment.