May 13, 2026 - Sacramento, Calif. – California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., announced that an initiative became eligible for the November 3, 2026, General Election ballot on May 12, 2026.  

In order to become eligible for the ballot, the initiative needed 546,651 valid petition signatures, which is equal to five percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2022 General Election.  

A measure can become eligible via random sampling of petition signatures if the sampling projects that the number of valid signatures is greater than 110 percent of the required number. The initiative needed at least 601,137 projected valid signatures to become eligible by random sampling, and it has exceeded that threshold today.  

On June 25, 2026, the Secretary of State will certify the initiative as qualified for the November 3, 2026, General Election ballot, unless it is withdrawn by the proponents prior to certification pursuant to Elections Code section 9604(b).  

The Attorney General's official title and summary of the measure is as follows:  

LIMITS COMPENSATION FOR HEALTH CARE EXECUTIVES, MANAGERS, AND ADMINISTRATORS. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Prohibits certain hospitals and medical entities from paying executives, managers, and administrators more than $450,000 in total annual compensation (salary, paid time off, bonuses, stock options, company vehicle, etc.) or severance payments; compensation limit increases up to 3.5% annually based on Consumer Price Index. Requires annual reporting of all executives, managers, and administrators receiving compensation or severance packages exceeding limit. Authorizes enforcement by Attorney General or taxpayer litigation. Penalties for violations include fines, revocation of tax-exempt status, and appointment of Attorney General representative to board of directors of nonprofit corporations. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: State cost as much as several million dollars annually to enforce the new limit on pay for administrators at affected hospitals and physician groups, mostly covered by fees charged to the affected entities. (25-0009A1.) 

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1985 and the Attorney General's tracking number is 25-0009A1. 

The proponents of the measure are Shelbi N. Augustus and Jonathan Everhart. The address for the proponents is c/o George M. Yin, Kaufman Legal Group, 445 S. Figueroa Street, Suite 2400, Los Angeles, CA 90071. The proponents may also be contacted at (213) 452-6565 and gyin@kaufmanlegalgroup.com. 

For more information about how an initiative qualifies for the ballot in California, visit https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/how-qualify-initiative/. 

Source: CA. SoS