It's that time of year again, California. Clipboard-carrying paid solicitors and volunteers are setting up shop outside grocery stores and on busy street corners in search of petition signatures for proposed initiatives for the November ballot.

More than 50 initiatives - many with long-winded, opinion-tested official names - will likely be cleared for circulation by the end of the month. Closer to a dozen likely have the organization and money to gather the hundreds of thousands of voter signatures needed to qualify.

With a 150-day window to collect and submit those signatures, the cost of hiring firms to circulate the petitions can easily exceed $2 million. That price tag increases as the late April recommended deadline for submitting signatures for the ballot nears. Here's a look at a few initiatives you could be asked to sign in the coming weeks.

PARENTAL NOTIFICATION

Official name: "Parental Notification, Child & Teen Safety and Stop Predators Act"

What it would do: Require parental notification 48 hours before an abortion procedure for teens under 18.

Who's behind it: Californians for Parental Rights, a coalition that supported previous efforts that qualified for the ballot.

NATURAL FOOD LABELING

Official name: "The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act"

What it would do: Require, by July 2014, genetically engineered foods sold in the state to carry printed disclosures and prohibit such products, including produce and processed foods, from branding themselves as "natural."

Who's behind it: A coalition of organic growers and advocates. Organic Consumers Association, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps and the Richvale-based Lundberg Family Farms have each chipped in $40,000 so far.

BROWN'S TAX INCREASE

Official name: "The Schools and Local Public Safety Act of 2012"

What it would do: Increase the sales tax by a half-cent for four years and the income tax on top income earners for five years. The tax hike is estimated to raise between $4.8 billion and $6.9 billion annually to help balance the budget.

Who's behind it: Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, who is expected to have support from organized labor and business. A campaign committee has already reported six-figure donations from California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, state building trades unions, Blue Shield of California and several Indian gambling tribes.

MUNGER'S TAX INCREASE

Official name: "Our Children, Our Future: Local Schools and Early Education Investment and Bond Debt Reduction Act"

What it would do: Increase taxes on most income earners to raise $10 billion annually for schools. Proponents have filed two versions of the measure. One would devote all the revenues to education and the other would allow $3 billion to be used to pay off state bonds for the first several years.

Who's behind it: Proponent Molly Munger, a wealthy civil rights attorney, has already contributed $500,000 to the campaign.

END THE DEATH PENALTY

Official name: "SAFE California"

What it would do: Repeal the death penalty in California, making the state's maximum sentence life without parole.

Who's behind it: American Civil Liberties Union, Hyatt magnate Nicholas Pritzker and Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Official name: "Californians Against Sexual Exploitation Act"

What it would do: Increase the maximum penalties and fines for convictions related to human trafficking; add online accounts to the disclosure requirements for registered sex offenders.

Who's behind it: California Against Slavery, a nonprofit advocacy group, has the backing of Chris Kelly, the wealthy former Facebook privacy officer who ran for state attorney general in 2010. He's already chipped in $70,000 of his own cash.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Official name: "The California Opportunity and Prosperity Act"

What it would do: Direct the state to seek federal OK to create a "safe harbor" for some undocumented immigrants living and working in California. Under the measure, undocumented immigrants who have lived in the state for four years, have no felony convictions, are not suspected terrorists, commit to learning English and agree to pay a fee and income taxes would be eligible to work without being targeted for deportation.

Who's behind it: Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, D-Sylmar, and former California Republican Party official Mike Madrid.

GOVERNMENT SPENDING LIMIT

Official name: "Government Spending Limit Act of 2012"

What it would do: Reinstitute a spending cap based on the 1979 Gann Limit and require that unanticipated tax revenues are used to pay down debt, boost schools and create a "rainy day" fund. Annual increases in spending would be tied to personal income and population growths.

Who's behind it: The California Taxpayers Association, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and Small Business Action Committee.

HEALTH CARE COSTS

Official name: "Fair Heathcare Pricing Act of 2012"

What it would do: Seek to reduce health care costs by limiting California hospitals to billing for only the cost of delivering care and medical services. A second proposal would require nonprofit hospitals to perform a certain level of charity services to retain their tax-exempt status.

Who's behind it: SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West has filed both measures and contributed $400,000 to a campaign committee.

PART-TIME LEGISLATURE

Official name: "The Citizen Legislature Act"

What it would do: Return the state Legislature to part-time status, where both houses would meet for just three months a year. Pay for all 120 legislators would be reduced to about $18,000 annually.

Who's behind it: Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, has transferred $30,000 from her Assembly campaign account to a new committee created to support the measure. Ted Costa of the People's Advocate has signed on to the effort.

PUBLIC PENSION OVERHAUL

Official name: "Government Employee Pension Reform Act of 2012"

What it would do: Proponents have submitted two proposals to overhaul the state public employee pension system and reduce benefits, mostly for future employees.

Who's behind it: California Pension Reform, a coalition headed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger advisers Dan Pellissier and Mike Genest. The group has raised $128,600, largely from venture capitalists.

GOVERNMENT RESTRUCTURING

Official name: "The Government Performance and Accountability Act"

What it would do: Change the state budget and governance processes, including a shift to a two-year, performance-based budgeting process and a curb on last-minute legislative amendments.

Who's behind it: California Forward, a nonprofit think tank co-chaired by former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg.

REPEAL GAY CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS

Official name: "The Children Learning Accurate Social Sciences Act"

What it would do: Repeal Senate Bill 48, a 2011 law requiring school curriculums to include the historical contributions of gays, as well as people with disabilities and members of different cultural groups.

Who's behind it: The Pacific Justice Institute and Capital Resource Institute, two conservative groups that fell short on a volunteer-based referendum of the law earlier this year.

CRIMINAL SENTENCING CHANGES

Official name: "Three Strikes Reform Act of 2012"

What it would do: Limit the state's sentencing laws to allow only "third- strike" offenses that are violent or serious to be eligible for a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison and allow some "third strikers" now incarcerated for conviction of minor crimes to appeal their sentences.

Who's behind it: Two Stanford University professors. One, David Mills, has already put $250,000 into the qualification campaign. The NAACP is expected to be a major supporter of the effort.

MARIJUANA REGULATION

Official name: "Medical Marijuana Regulation, Control and Taxation Act"

What it would do: Regulate and allow taxation of medicinal pot, a move proponents say will raise revenues for the state and protect the state's medical marijuana laws from a federal crackdown.

Who's behind it: Medical marijuana dispensaries and advocacy groups, including Americans for Safe Access and United Food and Commercial Workers, which is trying to organize cannabis workers. Backers are taking stock of financial support before deciding whether to launch a full qualification campaign in mid-February.

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Call Torey Van Oot, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 326-5544.

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