Bill Text: CA SB244 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Privacy: personal information.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2018-09-28 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 885, Statutes of 2018. [SB244 Detail]
Download: California-2017-SB244-Chaptered.html
| Senate Bill No. 244 |
| CHAPTER 885 |
An act to add Article 12 (commencing with Section 53170) to Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code, to amend Sections 12800.7 and 12801.9 of the Vehicle Code,
and to add Section 17852 to the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to privacy.
[
Approved by
Governor
September 28, 2018.
Filed with
Secretary of State
September 28, 2018.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 244, Lara.
Privacy: personal information.
(1) Existing law authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue an identification card to any person attesting to the true full name, correct age, and other identifying data as certified by the applicant for the identification card ready detection.
This bill would require that information or documents obtained by a city, county, or other local agency for the purpose of issuing a local identification card be used only for the purposes of administering the identification card program or policy. The bill would exempt the information from disclosure under the California Public Records Act and prohibit disclosure of that information, except as provided. The bill would declare that this provision addresses a matter of statewide concern and would apply to charter cities and charter counties.
By imposing new duties on local officials with respect to collecting, maintaining, and disclosing personal information, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(2) Existing law requires that each application for an original or a renewal of a driver’s license contain specified information. Under existing law, any document provided by the applicant to the department for purposes of proving his or her identity, true, full name, California residency, or that the applicant’s presence in the United States is authorized under federal law, is not a public record and the department is prohibited from disclosing this information except when requested by a law enforcement agency as part of an investigation.
This bill would instead prohibit the department from disclosing this information except in response to a subpoena for individual records in a criminal
proceeding or a court order, or in response to a law enforcement request to address an urgent health or safety need, as specified.
(3) Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue an original driver’s license to a person who is unable to submit satisfactory proof that the applicant’s presence in the United States is authorized under federal law if he or she meets all other qualifications for licensure and provides satisfactory proof to the department of his or her identity and California residency. Under existing law, it is a violation of specified antidiscrimination provisions for a state or local governmental authority, agent, or person acting on behalf of a state or local governmental authority, or a program or activity that is funded directly or receives financial assistance from the state, to discriminate against an individual because he or she holds or presents a license issued pursuant to these provisions.
This bill would specify that discrimination for these purposes includes notifying a law enforcement agency of the individual’s identity or that the individual carries a license issued under these provisions if a notification is not required by law or would not have been provided if the individual held a license that required satisfactory proof that his or her presence in the United States is authorized under federal law.
Existing law specifies that information collected under this provision is not a public record and prohibits disclosure, except as required by law.
This bill would specify that documents provided by applicants to prove identity or residency shall not be disclosed except
in response to a subpoena for individual records in a criminal proceeding or pursuant to a court order, or in response to a law enforcement request to address an urgent health or safety need, as specified.
Existing law prohibits use of a driver’s license issued under these provisions to consider an individual’s citizenship or immigration status as a basis for an investigation, arrest, citation, or detention.
This bill would instead prohibit use of a driver’s license issued under these provisions as evidence of an individual’s citizenship or immigration status for any purpose.
(4) Federal law, the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), provides that certain persons are not eligible for defined state and local public benefits unless a state law is enacted subsequent to the effective date of the act, August 22,
1996, that affirmatively provides for that eligibility. Existing law authorizes a city, county, city and county, or hospital district to provide aid, including health care, to persons who, but for the above-referred provision of the federal PRWORA, would meet the eligibility requirements for any program of that entity.
This bill would authorize the state, a city, county, city and county, or hospital district, as specified, to collect information for these purposes only as strictly required to assess eligibility for, or to administer, public services or programs, and exempt that information from disclosure under the California Public Records Act, except as required by law or as required by a federal or state court order, or to the state or local public health officer to carry out the duties of investigation, control, surveillance of
disease, as determined by the state or local public health agency.
(5) Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
(6) The California Constitution requires local agencies, for the purpose of ensuring public access to the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, to comply with a statutory enactment that amends or enacts laws relating to public records or open meetings and contains findings demonstrating that the enactment furthers the constitutional
requirements relating to this purpose.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
(7) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Article 12 (commencing with Section 53170) is added to Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code, to read:Article 12. Local Identification Cards
53170.
(a) Information or documents obtained by a city, county, or other local agency for the purpose of issuing a local identification card shall be used only for the purposes of administering the identification card program or policy. This information, including the name and address of any person who applies for or is issued a local identification card, is exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), shall not be open to the public for inspection, and shall not be disclosed except as required to administer the program, or as otherwise required by California law, any local law governing the identification card program, or court order. This section does not prohibit the disclosure of aggregate data if it is disclosed in a manner that would prevent it from being used to determine the identities of the persons upon whom the data is based.(b) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that protecting the privacy of the residents of this state is an important matter of statewide concern. This section shall therefore apply equally to all cities and counties in this state, including charter cities and charter counties.
SEC. 2.
Section 12800.7 of the Vehicle Code, as amended by Section 23 of Chapter 20 of the Statutes of 2017, is amended to read:12800.7.
(a) Upon application for an original, renewal, or duplicate of a driver’s license the department may require the applicant to produce any identification that it determines is necessary in order to ensure that the name of the applicant stated in the application is his or her true, full name and that his or her residence address as set forth in the application is his or her true residence address.(b) Notwithstanding any other law, any document provided by the applicant to the department for purposes of proving the applicant’s identity, true, full name, California residency, or that the applicant’s presence in the United States is authorized under federal law, is not a public
record and may not be disclosed by the department except in response to a subpoena for individual records in a criminal proceeding or a court order, or in response to a law enforcement request to address an urgent health or safety need if the law enforcement agency certifies in writing the specific circumstances that do not permit authorities time to obtain a court order.
SEC. 3.
Section 12801.9 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:12801.9.
(a) Notwithstanding Section 12801.5, the department shall issue an original driver’s license to a person who is unable to submit satisfactory proof that the applicant’s presence in the United States is authorized under federal law if he or she meets all other qualifications for licensure and provides satisfactory proof to the department of his or her identity and California residency.(b) The department shall adopt emergency regulations to carry out the purposes of this section, including, but not limited to, procedures for (1) identifying documents acceptable for the purposes of proving identity and California residency, (2) procedures for verifying the authenticity of the
documents, (3) issuance of a temporary license pending verification of any document’s authenticity, and (4) hearings to appeal a denial of a license or temporary license.
(c) Emergency regulations adopted for purposes of establishing the documents acceptable to prove identity and residency pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be promulgated by the department in consultation with appropriate interested parties, in accordance with the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), including law enforcement representatives, immigrant rights representatives, labor representatives, and other stakeholders, which may include, but are not limited to, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the California State Sheriffs’
Association, and the California Police Chiefs Association. The department shall accept various types of documentation for this purpose, including, but not limited to, the following documents:
(1) A valid, unexpired consular identification document issued by a consulate from the applicant’s country of citizenship, or a valid, unexpired passport from the applicant’s country of citizenship.
(2) An original birth certificate, or other proof of age, as designated by the department.
(3) A home utility bill, lease or rental agreement, or other proof of California residence, as designated by the department.
(4) The following documents, which, if in a language other
than English, shall be accompanied by a certified translation or an affidavit of translation into English:
(A) A marriage license or divorce certificate.
(B) A foreign federal electoral photo card issued on or after January 1, 1991.
(C) A foreign driver’s license.
(5) A United States Department of Homeland Security Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal.
(6) An official school or college transcript that includes the applicant’s date of birth or a foreign school record that is sealed and includes a photograph of the applicant at the age the record was issued.
(7) A United States Department of Homeland Security Form I-20 or Form DS-2019.
(8) A deed or title to real property.
(9) A property tax bill or statement issued within the previous 12 months.
(10) An income tax return.
(d) (1) A license issued pursuant to this section, including a temporary license issued pursuant to Section 12506, shall include a recognizable feature on the front of the card, such as the letters “DP” instead of, and in the same font size as, the letters “DL,” with no other distinguishable feature.
(2) The license shall bear the following notice: “This card is not acceptable for official federal purposes. This license is issued only as a license to drive a motor vehicle. It does not establish eligibility for employment, voter registration, or public benefits.”
(3) The notice described in paragraph (2) shall be in lieu of the notice provided in Section 12800.5.
(e) If the United States Department of Homeland Security determines a license issued pursuant to this section does not satisfy the requirements of Section 37.71 of Title 6 of the Code of Federal Regulations, adopted pursuant to paragraph (11) of subdivision (d) of Section 202 of the Real ID Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-13), the department shall modify the license only to the extent necessary to satisfy the
requirements of that section.
(f) Notwithstanding Section 40300 or any other law, a peace officer shall not detain or arrest a person solely on the belief that the person is an unlicensed driver, unless the officer has reasonable cause to believe the person driving is under 16 years of age.
(g) The inability to obtain a driver’s license pursuant to this section does not abrogate or diminish in any respect the legal
requirement of every driver in this state to obey the motor vehicle laws of this state, including laws with respect to licensing, motor vehicle registration, and financial responsibility.
(h) It is a violation of law to discriminate against a person because he or she holds or presents a license issued under this section, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) It is a violation of the Unruh Civil Rights Act (Section 51 of the Civil Code), for a business establishment to discriminate against a person because he or she holds or presents a license issued under this section.
(2) (A) It is a violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Part 2.8 (commencing with
Section 12900) of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) for an employer or other covered person or entity, pursuant to Section 12940 of the Government Code and subdivision (v) of Section 12926 of the Government Code, to discriminate against a person because the person holds or presents a driver’s license issued pursuant to this section, or for an employer or other covered entity to require a person to present a driver’s license, unless possessing a driver’s license is required by law or is required by the employer and the employer’s requirement is otherwise permitted by law. This section shall not be construed to limit or expand an employer’s authority to require a person to possess a driver’s license.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), this section shall not be construed to alter an employer’s rights or obligations under Section
1324a of Title 8 of the United States Code regarding obtaining documentation evidencing identity and authorization for employment. An action taken by an employer that is required by the federal Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. Sec. 1324a) is not a violation of law.
(3) It is a violation of Section 11135 of the Government Code for a state or local governmental authority, agent, or person acting on behalf of a state or local governmental authority, or a program or activity that is funded directly or receives financial assistance from the state, to discriminate against an individual because he or she holds or presents a license issued pursuant to this section, including by notifying
a law enforcement agency of the individual’s identity or that the individual carries a license issued under this section if a notification is not required by law or would not have been provided if the individual held a license issued pursuant to Section 12801.
(i) Driver’s license information obtained by an employer shall be treated as private and confidential, is exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), and shall not be disclosed to any unauthorized person or used for any purpose other than to establish identity and authorization to drive.
(j) Information collected pursuant to this section is not a public record and shall
not be disclosed by the department, except as required by law.
(k) Documents provided by applicants to prove identity or residency pursuant to this section shall not be disclosed except in response to a subpoena for individual records in a criminal proceeding or a court order, or in response to a law enforcement request to address an urgent health or safety need if the law enforcement agency certifies in writing the specific circumstances that do not permit authorities time to obtain a court order.
(l) A license issued pursuant to this section shall not be used as evidence of an individual’s citizenship or immigration status for any purpose.
(m) On or before January 1, 2018, the California Research Bureau shall
compile and submit to the Legislature and the Governor a report of any violations of subdivisions (h) and (k). Information pertaining to any specific individual shall not be provided in the report.
(n) In addition to the fees required by Section 14900, a person applying for an original license pursuant to this section may be required to pay an additional fee determined by the department that is sufficient to offset the reasonable administrative costs of implementing the provisions of the act that added this section. If this additional fee is assessed, it shall only apply until June 30, 2017.
(o) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2015, or on the date that the director executes a declaration pursuant to Section 12801.11, whichever is sooner.
(p) This section shall become inoperative on the effective date of a final judicial determination made by any court of appellate jurisdiction that any provision of the act that added this section, or its application, either in whole or in part, is enjoined, found unconstitutional, or held invalid for any reason. The department shall post this information on its Internet Web site.
SEC. 4.
Section 17852 is added to the Welfare and Institutions Code, to read:17852.
(a) The state, a city, county, city and county, or hospital district may collect information for the purposes of this part only as required to assess eligibility for, or to administer, public services or programs. This shall include coordinating services or programs across state and local agencies, ensuring that public services or programs adequately service individuals and diverse communities, enforcing civil rights protections, and providing access to services, programs, or benefits for which an individual may be eligible or that address needs for health, social, or other services. This section shall include third parties under contract with a public officer or agency.(b) All types of information, whether written or oral, concerning a person made or kept by any public officer or agency for the purpose of assessing eligibility for, or administering the services authorized by, this part are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code), are confidential, and shall not be disclosed except as required to administer the services or as required by law, as required by a federal or state court order, or to the state or local public health officer to carry out the duties of investigation, control, surveillance of disease, as determined by the state or local public health agency.
(c) This section shall not
prohibit the sharing of data as long as it is disclosed in a manner that could not be used to determine the identities of the persons to whom the data pertains, alone, or in combination with other data.
(d) This section shall not prohibit the sharing of personal information when the subject of that information has provided signed, written consent allowing the information to be provided to the person requesting the information.
SEC. 5.
The Legislature finds and declares that this act imposes a limitation on the public’s right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies within the meaning of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution. Pursuant to that constitutional provision, the Legislature makes the following findings to demonstrate the interest protected by this limitation and the need for protecting that interest:This act strikes an appropriate balance between the public’s right to access information about the conduct of their government agencies and the need to protect the personal information of private individuals who
participate in public programs or receive public services.
SEC. 6.
The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of this act, which adds Article 12 (commencing with Section 53170) to Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code, furthers, within the meaning of paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution, the purposes of that constitutional section as it relates to the right of public access to the meetings of local public bodies or the writings of local public officials and local agencies. Pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution, the Legislature makes the following findings:This
act strikes an appropriate balance between the public’s right to access information about the conduct of their government agencies and the need to protect the personal information of private individuals who participate in public programs or receive public services.
