Legislative Bulletin

The California Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a case that could allow state and local agencies to charge requesters exorbitant amounts to obtain records under the state’s public records law. At issue in the case, National Lawyers Guild vs. City of Hayward, is whether government agencies can recover costs associated with…

Legislation that would allow a majority of members of a local agency to communicate with constituents as well as each other via Facebook or Twitter was passed out of the Assembly on a 57-13 vote. AB 992 by Assemblyman Kevin Mullin (D-South San Francisco) would allow the use of internet-based social media platforms, as defined,…

Legislation has been introduced by Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Alhambra) to reorganize the California Public Records Act in an effort to make it more “user friendly” without making any substantive changes. The bill, AB 2138, would recodify and reorganize the act, striking it from California Government Code Sections 6250-6276.48 and replacing it with Government Code Sections…

Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) has introduced SB 890 to require a social media internet website to remove a photograph or video recording uploaded or posted to the website by the perpetrator of a crime that is depicted in the photo or video. A social media internet website, which is not defined, would be required to…

While it is still early in the legislative process there are several bills that have been introduced of interest to newspapers and more to come by the bill introduction deadline next Friday. AB 2028 by Assemblywoman Cecelia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) This bill would require that the meeting notice distributed by a state agency include all writings…

AB 1599 by Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo), a bill to improve access to police misconduct information, made it out of the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday in a unanimous vote. This bill seeks to close an important loophole that allows officers to keep records associated with investigations of sexual misconduct private by…

Legislation that would allow a majority of members of a local agency to communicate with constituents as well as each other via Facebook or Twitter was passed out of the Assembly Local Government Committee this week on a 5-3 vote. AB 992 by Assemblyman Kevin Mullin (D-South San Francisco) would allow the use of internet-based…

CNPA joined 57 other media organizations on a letter drafted by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and sent to the U.S. Senate opposing the press restrictions announced by the Senate for the upcoming impeachment trial (including limiting the use of electronic devices, prohibiting reporters from following senators as they move around the…

From the Secretary of State’s Advisory: The March 3, 2020 Presidential Primary Election is fast approaching, and Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s office can help you with your election night reporting needs. If you want to receive up-to-the-minute results on election night directly from the Secretary of State’s office, please complete the Media Options Request…

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…