Governmental Affairs
CNPA tracks hundreds of bills each year affecting every aspect of news publishing, from advertising to employment relations issues and, of course, freedom of information and the First Amendment. Please see our top priorities and what we have accomplished.
Public Notice
Each year there is a push to place more of these notices online only, but removing these notices from print publications eliminates the serendipitous effect that occurs as a reader is turning the pages of a newspaper. Public notices are designed to ensure citizens remain properly informed on key issues. They serve as an important revenue stream for print publications.CA Public Records Act
Access to information and the right of the people to be informed about the actions of their government is a pillar of our society. CNPA has been the guardian of the California Public Records Acts since its inception and continues to identify and fight against legislation that creates or extends exemptions to the Public Records Act. We have fought and continue to fight to expand access to law enforcement body camera footage and information such as police misconduct records.Open Meeting Laws
The Bagley-Keene and Brown Acts require that state and local legislative bodies provide adequate notice of meetings, agendas, public access and comments to meetings. CNPA diligently identifies legislation that supports the public’s right to know and adamantly opposes any legislation that would decrease transparency.Advertising
CNPA identifies legislation that impacts advertisements and requirements for the inclusion of specific information in advertisements. Most of the restrictions are on the business placing the advertisement; however, there have been recent attempts to hold the publishers responsible for the actions of businesses they have no control over or knowledge of. CNPA continues to fight to make sure that restrictions are reasonable and hold the proper bad actors accountable.Industrial Relations
CNPA identifies legislation that affects how the news industry functions and delivers the news to readers. One of the more frequent issues since 2019 has been maintaining the exemption for news carriers from AB 5. Currently, the exemption will run until January 1, 2030 thanks to AB 224 (Rubio). Other issues that come up in this area involve auto renewal of subscriptions, or other business issues of particular importance to the industry.Anti-Slapp
Anti-SLAPP laws are designed to provide for the early dismissal of meritless lawsuits filed against people for the exercise of First Amendment rights. The acronym “SLAPP” stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. These laws provide a quick and effective resolution to suits that would otherwise have a chilling effect on free speech. CNPA identifies threats to these important laws and works diligently to protect them.
Legal Resources
Learn more about the legal resources provided by the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.
Learn moreCNPA Legislative Fly-in, Feb. 5, 2025, Sacramento
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CNPA’s positions on the session’s most-crucial bills
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AB 323 becomes law; newspapers win time, not a victory over the forces...
Learn MoreAB1506 compliance information for publishers and distributors
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2024 Top Legislation
AB 886
(Wicks - Cosponsors)California Journalism Preservation Act
This bill seeks to finally level the playing field between Big Tech and journalism providers, no matter their size. If the platforms come to the table before the end of the legislative session there is a fund option, like Canada. If not, the platforms and a collective of publishers will go to mediation, backstopped by arbitration. Final offer arbitration incentives both sides to come to the table with a fair offer because the panel of arbiters will pick one. Distribution will be based per journalist, allowing freelancers to count for small publications. Additionally, the bill requires that 70 percent of revenue from the bill go back into newsrooms and journalism jobs. There are robust reporting requirements to ensure transparency on how the funds are spent.
SB 254
(Skinner - Cosponsors)Correctional Facilities: Media Access
This bill seeks to restore media access to California prisons, which has been limited to a pencil and pad of paper for many years. The bill originally included city and county facilities, which many inmates are housed in due to realignment. However, due to the budget deficit and cost estimates they were removed. The bill is s substantial and necessary step forward.
AB 2095
(Maienschein)Publication: Newspapers of General Circulation
We have faced many battles over the past few years to remove various public notices. This year we are playing offense, rather than defense. This bill would require that all public notices in the state be posted to one central website to take advantage of what technology has to offer in expanding public access to information, while maintaining in print notices.
2023 Top Legislation
AB 721
(Valencia - Opposed)School District: Budgets: Public Hearings: Notice
This bill would require that information instead be posted prominently on the homepage of the internet website of the school district or published by the school district in a newspaper of general circulation in the school district or, if there is no newspaper of general circulation in the school district, in any newspaper of general circulation in the county, at least three days before the availability of the proposed budget for public inspection.
Passed the Assembly: 76-0
AB 542
(J. Carrillo - Opposed)Self-Service Storage Facilities: Lien Sales
This bill would instead require a single publication in a newspaper of general circulation in either the public notice district where the sale is to be held or in the county where the self-service facility is located. The bill would alternatively authorize an owner to satisfy these notice requirements by publishing once in a newspaper of general circulation and an advertisement for the sale on an internet website that customarily conducts or advertises online auctions or sales.
Passed the Assembly: 79-0
SB 544
(Laird - Opposed)Bagley-Keene Act: Teleconferencing
The Bagley-Keene Act governs open meeting requirements for all state bodies, similar to the Brown Act. These bodies range from the Public Utilities Commission to POST which will begin decertifying police offers for misconduct this year to the California Commission on Aging (Sponsors of the bill), wield immense regulatory and budgetary authority.
This bill as amended will require all boards and commissions with regulatory authority to meet with an in-person quorum, but it allows individuals with a disability or just cause to count toward the in-person quorum. All advisory bodies and commissions will be allowed to meet entirely remotely, without justification, until the bill sunsets in 2026.
Passed the Senate: 30-5
SB 537
(Becker - Opposed)Open Meetings: Teleconferencing
This bill would allow bodies to meet remotely, without historical guardrails of the Brown Act. The bill would define “legislative body” for this purpose to mean a board, commission, or advisory body of a multijurisdictional cross county agency, the membership of which board, commission, or advisory body is appointed and which board, commission, or advisory body is otherwise subject to the act. The bill would also define “multijurisdictional” to mean a legislative body that includes representatives from more than one county, city, city and county, special district, or joint powers entity.
Location: Inactive File (bill is dead for the year)
Making an Impact
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