9023.
(a) For purposes of this section, a “professional petition firm” means an entity that pays individuals to circulate petitions and gather signatures for the purpose of qualifying an initiative for a state or local election ballot.(b) A professional petition firm shall register annually with the Secretary of State to engage in the business of paying individuals to circulate petitions and collect signatures in order to qualify an initiative for a state or local election ballot. Registration information shall include the full name, address, and partners, owners, or officers of the firm. The registering firm shall pay a registration fee to be established by the Secretary of State in an amount no greater than each payor’s proportionate share of the costs to the Secretary of State for the Secretary of State’s implementation of this section. The Secretary of State may seek a civil penalty not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000) from a firm that fails to register with the Secretary of State.
(c) The Secretary of State shall use the registration fees specified in subdivision (b) to maintain on its Internet Web site a directory of professional petition firms and to defray any other costs associated with its requirements as described in this section.
(d) A member of a professional petition firm shall review the law relating to obtaining petition signatures, including prohibitions, with each paid petition circulator, individually or in a group, before the paid petition circulator obtains any signatures for the firm. A copy of the training materials provided to the paid circulators shall be submitted by the firm to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State may seek a civil penalty not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000) from a firm that fails to submit training materials to the Secretary of State. A statement, signed by a paid petition circulator and the individual who conducted the review, verifying that the paid petition circulator has received the review required by this subdivision of the relevant law relating to obtaining petition signatures, shall be submitted by the professional petition firm to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State may seek a civil penalty not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000) from a firm that fails to submit a statement of verification to the Secretary of State.
(e) Nothing in this section shall abridge or restrict the provisions of Section 9021.