---
type: "Bill"
title: "Elections."
description: "Elections."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ca"
legislature: "California Legislature"
session: "20032004"
identifier: "AB 1544"
citation: "California AB 1544 (20032004)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Elections."]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Simitian"]
version_count: 7
action_count: 25
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2003-02-21"
last_action: "2003-09-17"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/70d6f4be-cb56-4fc2-a58a-66d462e960bd"
source_url: "http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=200320040AB1544"
source_hash: "653fb883373a4fa7a2dfeee1696b832fe0e1440734e43028c56ba7b720be13fd"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ca"]
---

# California AB 1544 (20032004) — Elections.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **02/21/03 - Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200320040AB1544&version=20030AB154499INT)
2. **04/21/03 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200320040AB1544&version=20030AB154498AMD)
3. **05/05/03 - Amended Assembly** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200320040AB1544&version=20030AB154497AMD)
4. **06/23/03 - Amended Senate** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200320040AB1544&version=20030AB154496AMD)
5. **09/17/03 - Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200320040AB1544&version=20030AB154494CHP)
6. **AB1544** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=200320040AB1544)
7. **08/28/03 - Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billPdf.xhtml?bill_id=200320040AB1544&version=20030AB154495ENR)

## Votes

- Do pass, but re-refer to the Committee on Appropriations. — **pass** (pass) · upper
- ab 1544 simitian assembly third reading — **pass** (pass) · lower
- ab 1544 simitian concurrence in senate amendments — **pass** (pass) · lower
- Do pass. — **pass** (pass) · lower
- Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations. — **pass** (pass) · lower
- assembly 3rd reading ab1544 simitian by torlakson — **pass** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Simitian — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2003-09-17** Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 401, Statutes of 2003.
- **2003-09-16** Approved by the Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2003-09-04** Enrolled and to the Governor at 4 p.m.
- **2003-08-28** Senate amendments concurred in. To enrollment. (Ayes 46. Noes 28. Page 3226.) `committee-passage-favorable, amendment-passage`
- **2003-08-25** In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. May be considered on or after August 27 pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.
- **2003-08-21** Read third time, passed, and to Assembly. (Ayes 27. Noes 12. Page 2092.) `reading-3, passage, reading-1`
- **2003-07-15** Read second time. To third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2003-07-14** From committee: Be placed on second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8. `committee-passage`
- **2003-07-03** From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Standing Committee on Appropriations Re-referred. (Ayes 3. Noes 1.). `committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee, committee-passage`
- **2003-06-23** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Standing Committee on Elections and Redistricting. `referral-committee, amendment-passage, amendment-introduction, reading-2, reading-1`
- **2003-06-18** In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
- **2003-06-05** Referred to Standing Committee on Elections and Redistricting. `referral-committee`
- **2003-05-23** In Senate. Read first time. To Standing Committee on Rules for assignment. `reading-1`
- **2003-05-22** Read third time, passed, and to Senate. (Ayes 48. Noes 30. Page 1845.) `reading-3, passage, reading-1`
- **2003-05-19** Read second time. To third reading. `reading-2, reading-1`
- **2003-05-15** From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 17. Noes 7.) (May 14). `committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage`
- **2003-05-06** Re-referred to Standing Committee on Appropriations. `referral-committee`
- **2003-05-05** Read second time and amended. `reading-2, amendment-passage, reading-1`
- **2003-05-01** From committee: Amend, do pass as amended, and re-refer to Standing Committee on Appropriations (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (April 22). `referral-committee, amendment-passage, amendment-introduction, committee-passage`
- **2003-04-22** Re-referred to Com. on E.,R. & C.A. `referral-committee`
- **2003-04-21** From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on E.,R. & C.A. Read second time and amended. `amendment-passage, amendment-introduction, reading-2, reading-1`
- **2003-03-10** Referred to Com. on E.,R. & C.A. `referral-committee`
- **2003-02-24** Read first time. `reading-1`
- **2003-02-23** From printer. May be heard in committee March 25.
- **2003-02-21** Introduced. To print. `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/70d6f4be-cb56-4fc2-a58a-66d462e960bd`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).