Legislative Bulletin

The Senate Judiciary Committee last week killed a key privacy measure that would have made compliance with California’s recently enacted privacy law more workable for newspapers and other businesses. The action was consistent with statements made by the Chairwoman of the committee, Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), that she intended to kill any privacy bill…

Legislation that would prohibit agencies from destroying emails for at least 2 years was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 7-1 vote. AB 1184, by Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) would require state and local agencies to retain every writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public’s business transmitted by…

The Assembly Governmental Organization Committee unanimously passed Senator Scott Wilk’s (R-Santa Clarita) SB 53 on Wednesday. SB 53 would close a loophole in the Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act – which applies to state boards and commissions – that currently allows two-member subcommittees to meet outside of public view. A similar loophole in the Brown Act…

AB 602, Assemblymember Marc Berman’s (D-Palo Alto) bill that provides a civil cause of action for individuals whose likenesses are used without their consent in deepfakes that depict sexual conduct was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, and will next be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee. CNPA has an opposed unless amended…

Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) has pulled her AB 1795 from consideration for the rest of this year following concerns raised by CNPA and other groups. AB 1795 would have closed access to court records in eviction cases arising out of the Ellis Act, a law that allows landlords to require tenants to move out…

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday halted the progress of Assemblymember Vince Fong’s (R-Bakersfield) AB 289, which would have created a CPRA Ombudsperson in the State Auditor’s Office to review denials of CPRA requests by state agencies. Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), who chairs the committee, raised various concerns about the bill, including that it…

On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted its approval of a bill that would allow CPRA requesters to use their own equipment, such as a cell phone, to copy public records. AB 1819 by the Assembly Judiciary Committee has the strong support of CNPA, as it allows requesters a way to copy public records…

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear two bills regulating the use of deepfake technology on Tuesday, both authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto). The first bill, AB 602, provides a civil cause of action for individuals whose likenesses are used without their consent in deepfakes that depict sexual conduct, as defined. The version of…

On Wednesday, the Assembly Appropriations Committee voted to place on its suspense file a measure introduced by Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) that would protect the ability of requesters who prevail in CPRA litigation to obtain their attorney’s fees and costs. The bill, SB 518, would prohibit the use of offers to compromise made under California…

Buried deep in a budget trailer bill is a provision that would exempt a state committee that analyzes the performance of California’s controversial cap and trade program from the serial meeting provision of the open meeting law for state agencies. The provision was added to SB 85 on June 11, five days before the bill…