Citizens Redistricting Commission Budget, Fiscal Oversight.

(a) In each year ending in nine, the Governor shall include in the Governor’s Budget submitted to the Legislature pursuant to Section 12 of Article IV of the California Constitution amounts of funding for the State Auditor and the Citizens Redistricting Commission that are sufficient to meet the estimated expenses of each of those officers or entities in implementing the redistricting process required by this act for a three-year period, including, but not limited to, adequate funding for a statewide outreach program to solicit broad public participation in the redistricting process, including the solicitation of applicants. The Governor shall also make adequate office and meeting space available for the operation of the commission. The Legislature shall make the necessary appropriation in the Budget Act, and the appropriation shall be available during the entire three-year period. The appropriation made shall be equal to the greater of three million dollars ($3,000,000), or the amount expended pursuant to this subdivision in the immediately preceding redistricting process, as each amount is adjusted by the cumulative change in the California Consumer Price Index, or its successor, since the date of the immediately preceding appropriation made pursuant to this subdivision. The Legislature may make additional appropriations in any year in which it determines that the commission requires additional funding in order to fulfill its duties.

(b) The commission, with fiscal oversight from the Department of Finance or its successor, shall have procurement and contracting authority and may hire staff and consultants, exempt from the civil service requirements of Article VII of the California Constitution, for the purposes of this act, including legal representation.

(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 271, Sec. 5. (SB 1096) Effective January 1, 2013. Note: This section was added on Nov. 4, 2008, by initiative Prop. 11.)