Bill > AB1821

This bill amends the California Public Records Act to adjust how agencies handle requests for public records. Firstly, it introduces a new fee structure for requests that are particularly time-consuming for agencies; if a single request requires more than two hours of "search" time (meaning reviewing records manually or by computer to find responsive documents), or if a single person makes requests totaling over ten hours of search time in a month, the requester may be charged a reasonable fee for the agency's administrative time, though journalists, newspapers, and educational or noncommercial scientific institutions are exempt from this fee. Secondly, the bill modifies the timeframe for agencies to respond to record requests, requiring them to determine within 10 business days whether records are disclosable and to notify the requester, and allowing for an extension of this response time by up to 14 business days under certain "unusual circumstances," which include needing to search through large volumes of records, consult with other agencies, or deal with situations like cyberattacks or proclaimed states of emergency that hinder their ability to access or process records. The bill also includes legislative findings stating that these changes are intended to balance the public's right to access records with the agencies' need for adequate time and resources to fulfill requests.

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https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1821