The California Public Records Act (CPRA) generally requires public records to be open for inspection by the public, subject to certain, but numerous, exceptions. Existing law requires each agency, within 10 days of a request for a copy of records, to determine whether the request seeks copies of disclosable public records in possession of the agency and to promptly notify the person of the determination and the reasons therefor. Existing law authorizes that time limit to be extended by no more than 14 days under unusual circumstances, and defines “unusual circumstances” to include certain circumstances.
Senate Bill 1034 (SB 1034) revises the unusual circumstances under which the time limit may be extended to include the need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine records during a state of emergency, as defined, as an emergency proclaimed by the Governor in the jurisdiction where the agency is located when the state of emergency currently affects, due to the state of emergency, the agency’s ability to timely respond to requests due to staffing shortages or closure of facilities where the requested records are located.
(SB 1034 amends section 7822.535 of the Government Code.)