Bill Text: CA SB615 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Public records: disclosure.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2020-02-03 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB615 Detail]
Download: California-2019-SB615-Introduced.html
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION
| Senate Bill | No. 615 |
| Introduced by Senator Hueso |
February 22, 2019 |
An act to amend Sections 6258 and 6259 of the Government Code, relating to public records.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 615, as introduced, Hueso.
Public records: disclosure.
The California Public Records Act requires a public agency, defined to mean a state or local agency, to make its public records available for public inspection and to make copies available upon request and payment of a fee, unless the public records are exempt from disclosure. The act makes specified records exempt from disclosure and provides that disclosure by a state or local agency of a public record that is otherwise exempt constitutes a waiver of the exemptions.
Existing law permits any person to institute proceedings for injunctive or declarative relief or a writ of mandate in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce their right to inspect or to receive a copy of any public record or class of public records covered by the act. The act, when it appears to a superior court that certain public records are being improperly withheld from a
member of the public, requires the court to order the officer or person charged with withholding the records to disclose the public record or show cause why they should not do so. The act requires the court to award court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees to the requester if the requester prevails in litigation filed pursuant to these provisions, and requires the court to award court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees to the public agency if the court finds that the requestor’s case is clearly frivolous.
This bill would require a person to meet and confer in good faith with the agency in an attempt to informally resolve each issue before instituting any proceeding for injunctive or declarative relief or writ of mandate. The bill would require the person or their attorney to file a declaration stating that this has occurred at the time that proceedings are instituted. Because the declaration would be made under penalty of perjury, the bill would expand the
definition of a crime and impose a state-mandated local program.
The bill would define “improperly withheld” for purposes of the act to mean a refusal by a public agency or public official to disclose a public record or some part thereof. The bill would require that in order for a requester to prevail in litigation related to the act, the trial court must find by a preponderance of the evidence that an agency knowingly, willfully, and without substantial justification failed to respond to a request for records, improperly withheld from a member of the public records that were clearly subject to public disclosure, unreasonably delayed providing the contents of a record subject to disclosure in part or in whole, improperly assessed a fee upon a requester that exceeded the direct cost of duplication, or otherwise did not act in good faith to comply with these provisions. The bill would make other nonsubstantive changes.
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.
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.
Section 6258 of the Government Code is amended to read:6258.
Any person may institute proceedings for injunctive or declarative relief or writ of mandate in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforceSEC. 2.
Section 6259 of the Government Code is amended to read:6259.
(a) Whenever it is made to appear by verified petition to the superior court of the county where the records or some part thereof are situated that certain public records are being improperly withheld from a member of the public, the court shall order the officer or person charged with withholding the records to disclose the public record or show cause why(b) If the court finds that the public official’s decision to refuse disclosure is not justified under Section 6254 or 6255, he or she the court shall order the public official to make the record public. If the judge determines that the public official was justified in refusing to make the record public, he or she the court shall return the item to the public official without disclosing its content with an order supporting the decision refusing disclosure.
(c) In an action filed on or after January 1, 1991,
an order of the court, either directing disclosure by a public official or supporting the decision of the public official refusing disclosure, is not a final judgment or order within the meaning of Section 904.1 of the Code of Civil Procedure from which an appeal may be taken, but shall be immediately reviewable by petition to the appellate court for the issuance of an extraordinary writ. Upon entry of any order pursuant to this section, a party shall, in order to obtain review of the order, file a petition within 20 days after service upon him or her the party of a written notice of entry of the order, or within such
a further time not exceeding an additional 20 days as the trial court may for good cause allow. If the notice is served by mail, the period within which to file the petition shall be increased by five days. A stay of an order or judgment shall not be granted unless the petitioning party demonstrates it will otherwise sustain irreparable damage and probable success on the merits. Any person who fails to obey the order of the court shall be cited to show cause why he or she is they are not in contempt of court.
(d) (1) The court shall award court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees to the requester should the requester prevail in litigation filed pursuant to this section. The In order for a requester prevail in litigation filed pursuant to this section, the trial court shall find by a preponderance of the evidence one of the following:
(A) The agency knowingly, willfully, and without substantial justification failed to respond to a request for records.
(B) The agency
improperly withheld from a member of the public records that were clearly subject to public disclosure.
(C) The agency unreasonably delayed providing the contents of a record subject to disclosure in part or in whole.
(D) The agency improperly assessed a fee upon a requester that exceeded the direct cost of duplication.
(E) The agency otherwise did not act in good faith to comply with these provisions.
(2) The costs and fees shall be paid by the public agency of which the public official is a member or employee and shall not become a personal liability of the public official. If the court finds that the requester’s case is clearly frivolous, it shall award court costs and reasonable attorney fees to the public agency.
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a requestor’s right to obtain fees and costs pursuant to subdivision (d) or pursuant to any other law.
(f) For purposes of this section, “improperly withheld” means a refusal by a public agency or public official to disclose a public record or some part thereof.
SEC. 3.
The Legislature finds and declares that Sections 1 and 2 of this act, which amends Sections 6258 and 6259 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 furthers the purposes of the California Public Records Act by promoting speedy resolution of conflicts relating to disclosure of records.
