An act to amend Sections 6256 and 6257 of, and to add Section 6256.5 to, the Government Code, relating to public records. Existing law, the California Public Records Act, provides, among other things, that any person may receive a copy of any identifiable public record upon payment of fees covering the direct costs of duplication, or any applicable statutory fee. This bill would expressly provide that any agency that has information that constitutes an identifiable public record that is available in an electronic format shall, unless otherwise prohibited by law, make that information available in the electronic format, when requested by any person at the actual cost of providing the information in that format. This requirement would impose a state-mandated local program with respect to local agencies. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state.
Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Any person may receive a copy of any identifiable public record or copy thereof. Upon request, an exact copy shall be provided unless impracticable to do so. Each agency, upon any request for a copy of records shall determine within 10 days after the receipt of such request whether to comply with the request and shall immediately notify the person making the request of such determination and the reasons therefor. Any reasonably segregable portion of a record shall be provided to any person requesting such record after deletion of the portions which are exempt by law.