Legislative Bulletin

In one of his final actions on bills passed by the legislature this session, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill by Sen. Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) that would have prohibited agencies from attacking the ability of requesters who prevail in CPRA litigation to obtain their attorney’s fees and costs. The bill, SB 518, would have prohibited…

Legislation that would prohibit agencies from destroying emails for at least 2 years was vetoed by the Governor last week. AB 1184, by Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) would have required state and local agencies to retain writings containing information relating to the conduct of the public’s business transmitted by electronic mail for at least…

The News Media Alliance reports that the Department of Labor (DOL) published its final rule that will increase the threshold used to determine the exempt status of white-collar employees under the minimum wage and overtime rules of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The new rule will have little, if any, impact on California newspapers because…

On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom approved AB 1819 by the Assembly Judiciary Committee, to allow CPRA requesters to use cell phones and other devices to make their own copies of public records. The measure had the strong support of CNPA. AB 1819 was introduced to end the practice of state and local agencies using sometimes-steep…

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Thursday released long-awaited proposed regulations to set forth how the state will enforce its tough new privacy law. The law, known as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), provides consumers control over how businesses collect and manage their personal data. The proposed regulations require companies to notify individuals of…

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday that prohibits California businesses from retaliating against employees who refuse to sign arbitration agreements. AB 51 by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) precludes businesses from requiring workers to sign arbitration agreements that waive their right to sue their employers for alleged labor violations as a condition of employment.…

Legislation negotiated by CNPA that would exempt newspaper carriers and distributors from the newly enacted law that makes it more difficult for businesses to use independent contractors in their operations was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday. The carrier exemption is set to expire on Jan. 1, 2021. For the next 12…

Now that legislation supported by CNPA creating exemptions for freelancers and carriers (expiring Jan. 1, 2021) has been signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, there are many questions about how the new law and the exemptions will impact newspapers’ use of independent contractors in their operations. This discussion is intended to provide readers with…

Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 730 by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto), which prohibits individuals or groups from distributing manipulated political videos within 60 days of an election. The bill prohibits the dissemination of images and audio or video recordings of candidates within 60 days of an election if the image or recording has…

In 2018, the legislature hastily passed a comprehensive privacy law known as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in an attempt to persuade the author of a more draconian privacy initiative that he should withdraw his proposal from the ballot. That author, Alastair Mactaggart, is back with a new initiative that would all but eliminate…