Inventory of the Senate Committee on Local Government Records

Jessica Herrick

California State Archives

1020 O Street

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone: (916) 653-2246

FAX: (916) 653-7363

E-mail: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov

URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/

Inventory of the Senate Committee on Local Government Records

Collection number: See series descriptions

California State Archives

Office of the Secretary of State

Sacramento, California

Processed by:: Jessica Herrick
Date Completed:: November 2006
Encoded by:: Jessica Herrick

Descriptive Summary

Title: Senate Committee on Local Government Records

Dates: 1967-2005

Collection Number: See series description

Creator: Senate Committee on LOcal Government

Creator/Collector: Senate Subcommittee on the Disabled

Creator/Collector: Senate Subcommittee on Infrastructure and Public Works

Creator/Collector: Senate Subcommittee on Land Use Planning

Creator/Collector: Senate Subcommittee on Mobilehome Parks

Creator/Collector: Senate Subcommittee on Planning Law Revision

Creator/Collector: Senate Subcommittee on Redevelopment of Antiquated Subdivisions

Collection Size: 83 cubic feet

Repository: California State Archives

Sacramento, California

Abstract: The Senate Committee on Local Government Records consist of 83 cubic feet of records reflecting the activity of the committee in investigating and introducing legislation related to local governmental procedure and organization. The records cover the years 1967-2005, with the bulk from 1970-2002, and are comprised of bill files, hearing files, reports and publications, committee logs, subject files, Orange County bankruptcy files, omnibus bill files, validating acts files, and committee correspondence files. The record group also includes the records of several subcommittees.

Physical Location: California State Archives

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Administrative Information

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

For permission to reproduce or publish, please consult California State Archives staff. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement that may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives' collections.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Senate Committee on Local Government Records, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Acquisition Information

The California State Archives acquired the Senate Committee on Local Government records according to state law.

Committee History

The creation of the Senate Committee on Local Government was a byproduct of Senate Resolution 150, introduced and adopted on June 20, 1939. Senate Resolution 150 implemented a study and revision of the Standing Rules of Senate. This revision, intended to simplify and expedite Senate business, resulted in a complete restructuring of Senate committees. Prior to 1939, Senate Rules called for forty standing committees so that each senator could serve as a committee chair. The new rules reduced the number of standing committees to twenty, most of them new creations, and brought committee duties in line with the organization of the California Code. The Senate Committee on Local Government came into existence on May 24, 1940, the day these new Senate Rules were read and adopted.

A standing committee of the Senate, the Committee on Local Government has been active since its creation, although slight modifications have been made to its purview as the years progressed. Senate Rules tasked the committee's initial nine members with the review of "all bills relating to (a) County government (b) Municipal corporations [and] (c) Special assessment and other local districts when not regulated by the provisions of some other code and uncodified legislation on the above subjects." In 1963, the committee's membership increased to eleven, rising in 1969 to thirteen. The following year, however, membership was reduced to eleven once again, and the committee's responsibilities altered to include "all bills pertaining to local governmental procedure and organization, and bills of local jurisdiction concerning environmental resources."

The committee has retained responsibility for review of legislation involving local governmental procedure and organization, but various other tasks have been added or removed. By 1972, the committee (then consisting of nine members) no longer assessed environmental resources bills. Instead, it had been assigned responsibility for review of legislation relating to "municipal judgeships, municipal court attaches, and personnel," a task that shifted in 1975 to the Senate Judiciary Committee. That same year, membership in the Committee on Local Government was again reduced, and its seven members focused only upon "bills relating to local governmental procedure and organization," and "bills that have been considered by other committees having jurisdiction of the appropriate subject, for consideration of any questions relating to local government administration." The scope of the committee did not change again until 1999, when bills relating to land use were added to its jurisdiction for review.

The number of committee members fluctuated between eleven and seven members in the 1980s and 1990s. At the present time, in September 2006, the committee's membership has been reduced to five. Fifteen Senators have chaired the committee since its inception: Harold J. Powers (Dem., Rep.) 1941-1942, Roy Cunningham (Dem., Rep.) 1943-1952, Harold T. Johnson (Dem.) 1953-1954, Luther E. Gibson (Dem.) 1955-1958, Stephen P. Teale (Dem.) 1959-1962, Joseph A. Rattigan (Dem.) 1963-1966, Clark L. Bradley (Rep.) 1967-1968, John G. Schmitz (Rep.) 1969-1970, John R. Nejedly (Rep.) 1970, Milton Marks (Rep.) 1971-1985, Marian C. Bergeson (Rep.) 1985-1994, William A. Craven (Rep.) 1994-1998, Richard K. Rainey (Rep.) 1998-2000, Tom Torlakson (Dem.) 2001-2004. Christine Kehoe (Dem.) became the committee's chair in 2004, and is currently serving in this position as of September 2006.

Scope and Content

The Senate Committee on Local Government Records consist of 83 cubic feet of records reflecting the activity of the committee in investigating and introducing legislation related to local governmental procedure and organization. The records cover the years 1967-2005, with the bulk from 1970-2002, and are comprised of bill files, hearing files, reports and publications, committee logs, subject files, Orange County bankruptcy files, omnibus bill files, validating acts files, and committee correspondence files. Although the committee began in 1940, records from the first twenty-six years are lacking in the Archives holdings. It is also anticipated that the Archives will receive further records from the Senate Committee on Local Government. Researchers should check for recently received, unprocessed records of the committee.

Among the bill files, hearing files, and subject files researchers will find information on topics related to local government, such as redevelopment, land use, and growth issues; property tax rates and allocation; and the organization, administration, and finance of county governments, municipal governments, and special districts. Of particular interest to the researcher are the files relating to the committee's investigation of the events leading up to Orange County's declaration of bankruptcy in 1994, as well as plans for the county's recovery. Additionally, the committee's hearing files and subject files contain materials from the Senate Local Government Working Group, regarding the impact of the proposed 1993/1994 State Budget upon local governmental bodies.

The Senate Committee on Local Government Records also include the records of several subcommittees: the Senate Subcommittee on the Disabled, Senate Subcommittee on Infrastructure and Public Works, Senate Subcommittee on Land Use Planning, Senate Subcommittee on Mobilehome Parks, Senate Subcommittee on Planning Law Revision, and Senate Subcommittee on Redevelopment of Antiquated Subdivisions. The subcommittee files focus on specific local government issues and contain material such as public hearing files, correspondence, and reports.

The California State Archives received the records of the Senate Committee on Local Government over a number of years and archives staff arranged them at various times. While the physical arrangement of the records reflects this variety, this inventory describes all of the records according to present archival descriptive standards for legislative committee records. Therefore, the physical arrangement of these records does not necessarily follow the order listed in this inventory.

Arrangement

The Senate Committee on Local Government records are arranged into fifteen series: bill files, hearing files, reports and publications, committee logs, subject files, Orange County bankruptcy files, omnibus bill files, validating acts files, committee correspondence files; Senate Subcommittee on the Disabled files, Senate Subcommittee on Infrastructure and Public Works files, Senate Subcommittee on Land Use Planning files, Senate Subcommittee on Mobilehome Parks files, Senate Subcommittee on Planning Law Revision files, and Senate Subcommittee on Redevelopment of Antiquated Subdivisions files.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

California. Legislature. Senate. Committee on Local Government.

Local government

State-local relations

Series Description

folder See below for LP numbers

Series 1 Bill Files 1967-2002

Physical Description: 933 file folders

Arrangement

Bill files are arranged chronologically by legislative session and numerically by bill number.

Scope and Content

Most bill files include all or some of the following items: bill analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements, testimony, press releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, roll calls, records of votes, and committee statements.

Microfilm copies of bill files are available for the years 1967-1988 as indicated by (mf) after the LP number.

Scope and Content Note

1967 SB20-SB1528, SCA4-SCA50 (2ff) LP176:174-175 (mf)

1967 AB44-AB2594 (2ff) LP176:176-177 (mf)

1968 SB3-SB1269, SCA37, SCR42 (2ff) LP176:178-179 (mf)

1968 AB22-AB2095 (2ff) LP176:180-181 (mf)

1969 SB18-SB1433, SCA20, SCA31, SCR52 (3ff) LP176:182-184 (mf)

1969 AB36-AB2305 (3ff) LP176:185-187 (mf)

1970 SB13-SB1420, SCA6, SCA19 (1ff) LP176:188 (mf)

1970 AB60-AB2529 (3ff) LP176:189-191 (mf)

1971 SB23-SB1636, SCA21, SCA28, SR224 (2ff) LP176:192-193 (mf)

1971 AB19-AB3061, ACR150, ACR158 (2 ff) LP176:194-195 (mf)

1972 SB27-SB1476, SCA76, SCR88 (2ff) LP176:196-197 (mf)

1972 AB19-AB2394 (1ff) LP176:198 (mf)

1973-1974 SB22-SB2436, SCA10, SCA39, SCR165 (12ff) LP189:35-46 (mf)

1973-1974 AB14-AB4519, ACA40-ACA104, ACR43, AJR73, AJR78 (11ff) LP189:24-34 (mf)

1975-1976 SB5-SB2194, SCA21, SCA42, SCR104, SR66 (13ff) LP206:239-240, 242-254 (mf)

1975-1976 AB37-AB4516, ACA37-ACA61, ACR167-ACR230 (14ff) LP207:2-16 (mf)

1975-1976 SB2X, SB4X (1ff) LP206:241 (mf)

1975-1976 AB1X (1ff) LP207:1 (mf)

1977-1978 SB3-SB2249, SCA16-SCA47, SR21 (16ff) LP215:41-56 (mf)

1977-1978 AB8-AB3819, ACA47, ACR61-ACR122, AJR1 (8ff) LP215:57-64 (mf)

1979-1980 SB21-SB2062, SCA43, SCR26-SCR58 (13ff) LP215:66-78 (mf)

1979-1980 AB8-AB3477, ACA8, ACR51-ACR96 (7ff) LP215:79-85 (mf)

1981-1982 SB53-SB2089, SCA1, SCR50-SCR70 (13ff) LP222:113-125 (mf)

1981-1982 AB106-AB3793, ACA56, ACA86, ACR57 (11ff) LP222:126-136 (mf)

1983-1984 SB45-SB2334, SCA19-SCA26, SCR8 (23ff) LP232:3-25 (mf)

1983-1984 AB14-AB4045, ACR150 (13ff) LP232:27-39 (mf)

1983-1984 SB24X (1ff) LP232:26 (mf)

1985-1986 SB17-SB2572, SCR43 (32ff) LP255:100-131 (mf)

1985-1986 AB13-AB4393, ACR139 (31ff) LP255:132-152 (mf)

1987-1988 SB52-SB2893, SR41 (42ff) LP271:170-211 (mf)

1987-1988 AB26-AB4687, ACA56, ACR87 (21ff) LP271:212-232 (mf)

1989-1990 SB20-SB2882, SCA19-SCA51, SCR88, SJR36, SB27X-SB39X (37ff) LP230:346-383

1989-1990 AB35-AB4302, ACA29, ACA38, ACR31, ACR54, AB16X (23ff) LP243:1-23

1991-1992 SB11-SB2055, SCA11-SCA41, SCR38, SB14X, SB19X (38ff) LP243:24-62

1991-1992 AB3-AB3812, ACA44, ACR24 (21ff) LP243:63-83

1993-1994 SB11-SB2112, SCA8-SCA33 (82ff) LP360:1-82

1993-1994 AB1-AB3819, AB90X (58ff) LP360:83-140

1995-1996 SB8-SB2170, SCA13-SCA38 (39ff) LP360:141-179

1995-1996 AB6-AB3472 (26ff) LP360:180-205

1995-1996 SB1XX-SB23XX (3ff) LP360:206-208

1997-1998 SB11-SB2226 (35ff) LP360:209-243

1997-1998 AB62-AB2737, ACA4-ACA10, AJR56 (46ff, 1 audiocassette) LP360:244-289

1999-2000 SB36-SB2204, SCA6-SCA21 (37ff) LP360:290-326

1999-2000 AB47-AB2935 (40ff) LP360:327-366

2001-2002 SB32-SB2055, SCA13 (61ff) LP360:367-427

2001-2002 AB15-AB3057 (70ff) LP360:428-497

2001-2002 SB22X-SB76X (5ff) LP360:498-502

2001-2002 SB22XX-SB76XX (1ff) LP360:504

2001-2002 AB9X (1ff) LP360:503

2001-2002 AB23XX-AB57XX (2ff) LP360:505-506

folder See Appendix A in the master finding aid at the California State Archives for LP numbers

Series 2 Hearing Files 1967-2002

Physical Description: 470 file folders

Arrangement

Hearing files are arranged chronologically by hearing date.

Scope and Content

Hearing files for the committee may contain agendas, audiotapes, videotapes, transcripts, testimony, background, and working files for regular session hearings, interim hearings, joint hearings, and some oversight hearings. Audiotapes, videotapes, the reel-to-reel tape, and the floppy diskette have been separated to a cold-storage vault for preservation purposes. Separation sheets are in the hearing files to alert the researcher to the existence of these records.

For a chronological list of hearings, see Appendix A in the master finding aid at the California State Archives.

folder See LP numbers below

Series 3 Reports and Publications 1969-1994

Physical Description: 23 file folders, 3 volumes

Arrangement

Reports and publications are arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content

Reports and Publications for the committee can include staff summary reports of various hearings as well as committee publications. Topics include, but are not limited to: summaries of legislation considered by the committee; intergovernmental and interagency relations; growth and redevelopment issues; property tax rates and allocations; fiscal issues of and laws regarding county and municipal governments as well as special districts; the impact of various legislation (federal and state) and propositions upon local governments; and land use regulations.

1969 (1ff) LP189:62

1972 (1ff) LP360:856

1974 (1 vol.) LP189:106

1975 (1 vol.) LP186:106

1976/1977 (1ff) LP207:31

1980 (1ff) LP360:860

1982 (1ff) LP360:862

1983 (1ff) LP360:863

1984 (1 vol.) LP232:40

1985 (1ff) LP360:864

1986 (4ff) LP360:865-868

1987 (3ff) LP360:869-871

1989 (2ff) LP360:872-873

1990 (1ff) LP360:874

1991 (3ff) LP360:875-877

1992 (1ff) LP360:878

1993 (1ff) LP360:879

1994 (1ff) LP360:880

folder See LP Numbers below

Series 4 Committee Logs 1993-2003

Physical Description: 55 file folders

Arrangement

Committee Logs are arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content

Committee Logs files can include committee disposition reports, full committee logs, measure status reports, committee history of actions reports, hearing results reports, memos to file clerk, reports of standing committee, hearing agendas, hearing correspondence, author's amendments reports, and roll call reports.

1993/1994 (3ff) LP360:881-883

1996 (3ff) LP360:884-886

1997 (8ff) LP360:887-894

1998 (8ff) LP360:895-902

1999 (5ff) LP360:903-907

2000 (5ff) LP360:908-912

2001 (4ff) LP360:913-916

2002 (8ff) LP360:917-924

2003 (11ff) LP360:925-935

folder See Appendix B in the master finding aid at the California State Archives for LP numbers

Series 5 Subject Files 1969-2002

Physical Description: 56 file folders

Arrangement

Subject files are arranged alphabetically by subject title.

Scope and Content

Subject files created by the committee may include correspondence, memoranda, emails, statistical findings, reports, notes, and newspaper clippings. Of particular note are those files related to the Senate Local Government Budget Working Group, which examined the impact upon local governments of a proposed property tax allocation shift in the governor's budget of fiscal year 1993/1994. Additionally, the subject files include files related to the committee's review of the allocation and use of funds by special districts from the Special District Augmentation Fund, established in 1979 in order to provide relief from fiscal shortages resulting from property tax reductions mandated by Proposition 13. The subject files also contain materials regarding Castaic Lake Water Agency; legislative counsel opinions on such topics as subdivision planning, housing, redevelopment, and public finance; and topics such as redevelopment and special districts.

For an alphabetical list of subject files, see Appendix B in the master finding aid at the California State Archives.

folder LP360:987-1020

Series 6 Orange County Bankruptcy Files 1992-1996

Physical Description: 34 file folders

Arrangement

Orange County Bankruptcy Files are arranged alphabetically by subject title.

Scope and Content

Orange County announced in December 1994 that it had lost over $1.6 billion from its investment pool. Shortly thereafter, the county became the largest municipality in United States history to ever declare bankruptcy. The Senate Committee on Local Government examined the issues and events leading up to this financial debacle, and also investigated plans for recovery. The committee's files contain correspondence, memoranda, emails, reports, financial data, recovery plans, analysis and review of legislation, newspaper clippings, and other background information. The bulk of these records consist of the action agendas and minutes of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, 1992-1994 (14ff); hearings, reports, and background materials of the Senate Special Committee on Local Government Investments, 1995 (6 ff); and the working files of the Senate Committee on Local Government regarding this topic (7ff).

folder See LP numbers below

Series 7 Omnibus Bill Files 1995-2004

Physical Description: 25 file folders

Arrangement

Omnibus Bill files are arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content

Each year, local officials discover minor problems with state statutes regarding the powers and duties of local agencies, as well as the laws on land use and planning. The Legislature responds by combining these various topics into an annual "Omnibus bill," thus making minor, non-controversial changes to the statutes in order to correct these problems. The committee's files regarding these bills can include bill analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements, testimony, press releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, roll calls, records of votes, committee statements, and other background material.

The researcher is also encouraged to examine the committee's Bill Files (see Series 1, above) for additional information concerning these bills.

1995 SB660 (1ff) LP360:1021

1996 SB1748 (1ff) LP360:1022

1997 SB320 (3ff) LP360:1023-1025

1998 SB1362 (3ff) LP360:1026-1028

1999 SB275 (2ff) LP360:1029-1030

2000 SB1350 (4ff) LP360:1031-1034

2001 SB210 (3ff) LP360:1035-1037

2002 SB1326 (2ff) LP360:1038-1039

2003 SB66 (4ff) LP360:1040-1043

2004 SB1165 (2ff) LP360:1044-1045

folder See LP numbers below

Series 8 Validating Act Files 2000-2005

Physical Description: 5 file folders

Arrangement

Validating Act files are arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content

The Legislature has adopted three annual Validating Acts since the early 1950s in order to retroactively correct inadvertent technical and procedural errors or omissions on the part of public officials, local agencies, and state departments that might otherwise invalidate boundary changes or bond issues. These Validating Acts, authored by all members of the Senate Committee on Local Government, boost the stability and credit ratings of state and local bonds, thereby protecting public lenders and private investors. The committee's files regarding these bills can include bill analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements, testimony, press releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, roll calls, records of votes, committee statements, and other background material.

The researcher is also encouraged to examine the committee's Bill Files (see Series 1, above) for additional information concerning these bills.

2000 SB1321, SB1322, SB1333 (1ff) LP360:1046

2002 SB1231, SB1232, SB1233 (1ff) LP360:1047

2003 SB61, SB62, SB63 (1ff) LP360:1048

2004 SB1091, SB1092, SB1093 (1ff) LP360:1049

2005 SB121, SB122, SB123 (1ff) LP360:1050

folder LP360:1051-1185

Series 9 Committee Correspondence Files 1984-2003

Physical Description: 135 file folders

Arrangement

Committee Correspondence files are arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content

Committee Correspondence files contain correspondence from the Chair of the Committee or the committee consultant.

folder LP230:162-165

Series 10 Senate Subcommittee on the Disabled Files 1984-1985

Physical Description: 4 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date of hearing.

Scope and Content

The files of the Senate Subcommittee on the Disabled consist of hearing files that contain hearing transcripts and a summary report regarding the hearing subject. This committee was dissolved in 1986, its functions transferred to a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

2/3/1984 Financial trends in care for the disabled, San Francisco (1ff) LP230:162

5/23/1984 Implications of the divestiture of the Bell Telephone System upon the disabled community and services that had been provided, Sacramento (1ff) LP230:163

5/16/1985 Needs of disabled persons and what is currently done to meet these needs and ideas to improve these needs, Sacramento (1ff) LP230:164

12/3/1985 Summary report of a hearing on the Department of Developmental Services' Preliminary/Long Range Plan for the disabled, Sacramento (1ff) LP230:165

folder See LP numbers below

Series 11 Senate Subcommittee on Infrastructure and Public Works Files 1983-1984

Physical Description: 2 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date of hearing.

Scope and Content

The Senate Subcommittee on Infrastructure and Public Works was responsible for preparing and reviewing several infrastructure bills, including SB17 (1985), SB183 (1985), and SB1322 (1985). It was dissolved in 1986. The committee held two oversight hearings, the files for which constitute this series. The files include hearing agendas, lists of registrants, chairman's opening remarks, testimony, staff summary and background reports, correspondence, press releases, and working papers regarding the hearing subject.

11/2/1983 Financing - Helping communities get what they are willing to pay for, San Francisco (1ff) LP222:138

11/27/1984 Financing of local government public works, Sacramento (1ff) LP232:41

folder See LP numbers below

Series 12 Senate Subcommittee on Land Use Planning Files 1974

Physical Description: 5 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date of hearing.

Scope and Content

Files include hearing agendas, transcripts, statements and testimony, background information, correspondence, press releases, and working papers in regard to the hearing subjects.

7/18/1974 Long-Range statewide land use planning, San Francisco (2ff, 1 vol.) LP189:88-89, LP360:858

10/18/1974 Proposed legislation and alternative models for long-range statewide land use planning, Oakland (1ff, 1 vol.) LP189:90, LP360:858

11/26/1974 Interfaces between local, regional and state governments in long-range statewide land use planning, Inglewood (2ff) LP189:94-95

folder See LP numbers below

Series 13 Senate Subcommittee on Mobilehome Parks Files 1980-1981

Physical Description: 4 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date of hearing.

Scope and Content

Files include hearing agendas, an audiocassette, statements and testimony, background report, and staff report in regard to the hearing subjects.

9/25/1980 SCR54, problems of mobilehome park tenants, Sacramento (1ff) LP215:87

11/14/1980 Hearing on Mobilehome Parks, San Diego (2ff, 1 audiocassette) LP215:89-90, 89a

2/1981 Report to the Legislature of the Senate Committee on Local Government, Subcommittee on Mobilehome Park Problems, Summary of Hearings Held (1 vol., 1ff) LP360:861, LP219:16

folder LP189:76-79

Series 14 Senate Subcommittee on Planning Law Revision Files 1973

Physical Description: 4 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date of hearing.

Scope and Content

Files include hearing agendas, transcripts, statements and testimony, correspondence, background information, staff reports, and working papers in regard to the hearing subjects.

10/15/1973 Inter-relationship between urban planning and the reduction of crime, San Bruno (1ff) LP189:76

10/15/1973 City ordinances enacted limiting or prohibiting urban growth, San Bruno (2ff) LP189:77-78

10/31/1973 Whether comprehensive revision of the State Planning Law is needed, Inglewood (1ff) LP189:79

folder See LP numbers below

Series 15 Senate Subcommittee on Redevelopment of Antiquated Subdivisions Files 1985-1986

Physical Description: 6 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject heading.

Scope and Content

The Senate Subcommittee on Redevelopment of Antiquated Subdivisions was created in order to review state law and local land use practices, then introduce legislation in 1987 that would promote the redesigning of outdated land use practices and patterns. Files include correspondence, drafts of reports, hearing transcripts, and background information.

1986/1987 Correspondence (3ff) LP360:1186-1188

1986 Drafts of Reports and Correspondence (1ff) LP360:1189

12/2/1986 Hearing to discuss hazards of vacant lots within older subdivisions, Sacramento (2ff, 1 vol.) LP230:23, LP360:1190-1191

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