What is Section 6254 of the government Code?
Criminal Investigations. Government Code Section 6254(f) exempts from disclosure “[r]ecords of complaints to, or investigations conducted by, or records of intelligence information or security procedures of” law enforcement agencies, although specified information from arrest records and police reports is disclosable.
Who is subject to California Public Records Act?
Anyone can request public documents in California. “[E]very person has a right to inspect any public record”. California Government Code (CGC) Sec. 6252(c) defines “person” to include any natural person, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, firm or association.
When was the California Public Records Act enacted?
1968
In 1968, the California Legislature enacted the California Public Records Act (CPRA) under Government Code (GC) sections 6250-6270. In its findings and declarations, mindful of the right of individuals’ privacy, the Legislature declared it was the public’s right to access information concerning the people’s business.
What categories of California government records are exempt from disclosure under the Public Records Act?
The following are some of the most frequent exemptions:
- Preliminary drafts or notes not normally retained, provided the public interest in withholding outweighs the public interest in disclosure (Government Code § 6254(a)).
- Personnel, medical, and similar files (Government Code § 6254(c)).
What is required by the Federal Records Act?
The Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. 31) and corresponding Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs) require all federal agencies to maintain records that document their activities, file records for safe storage and efficient retrieval, and dispose of records according to agency schedules.
What is California public record?
2. What is a Public Record? Government Code §6252 (e) defines a public record as “any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public’s business prepared, owned, used or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics.”
Is information that is not exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act?
Information that is privileged or confidential otherwise is exempt. Numerous other laws outside the CPRA either prohibit disclosure of certain information, limit its disclosure to certain persons, purposes or both, or give the agency discretion over release.