Election procedures: certified mail and superior courts.

Education Elections

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Committee on Elections (A) - ()
Last action: 2025-10-03
Official status: Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 304, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The exact amount of reimbursement and whether it will be triggered are not specified in the official source material.

Election Rules: Mail and Courts

This law changes how election notices are sent and updates rules about recalling judges.

What This Bill Does

Changes the way certain election-related messages must be delivered, using certified mail or electronic delivery instead of registered mail.
Updates recall procedures for judges to use 'superior courts' instead of 'trial courts'.
Provides that if the Commission on State Mandates determines this bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to statutory provisions.

Who It Names or Affects

Local election officials who must now use certified mail or electronic delivery for some communications.
Judges in superior courts, as recall procedures are updated to refer to them specifically.

Terms To Know

Certified Mail: A type of mail that comes with a receipt and proof of delivery.
Superior Courts: The highest level of trial courts in California, where major cases are heard.

Limits and Unknowns

It's not clear how much extra money local agencies will need to follow these new rules.
This law only works if another bill is also passed and this one is enacted last.

Bill History

2025-10-03 California Legislative Information
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 304, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-03 California Legislative Information
Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-22 California Legislative Information
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
2025-09-10 California Legislative Information
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3183.).
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-08 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 38. Noes 0. Page 2610.).
2025-08-29 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-28 California Legislative Information
Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-08-25 California Legislative Information
Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-25 California Legislative Information
From Consent Calendar.
2025-08-20 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
2025-08-19 California Legislative Information
From committee: Be ordered to second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to Consent Calendar.
2025-07-15 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (July 15). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-07-03 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A.
2025-05-21 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on E. & C.A.
2025-05-08 California Legislative Information
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-05-08 California Legislative Information
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 69. Noes 0. Page 1487.)
2025-05-01 California Legislative Information
Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.
2025-04-30 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 30).
2025-03-17 California Legislative Information
Referred to Com. on ELECTIONS.
2025-03-11 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee April 10.
2025-03-10 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1513, Committee on Elections.
Election procedures: certified mail and superior courts.
(1) Existing law requires specified notices, affidavits, and communications regarding elections to be delivered by registered mail.
This bill would instead require delivery by certified mail or, for certain communications between local officials and the Secretary of State, by electronic delivery. By imposing new duties on local officials with respect to elections, this bill would create a state-mandated local program.
(2) Existing law provides procedures for the recall of enumerated elective officers, including, among others, trial court judges.
This bill would replace references to trial courts in these provisions with references to superior courts.
(3) This
bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 15621 of the Elections Code proposed by Assembly Bill 930 to be operative only if this bill and Assembly Bill 930 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
(4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Download Bill PDF