State Auditor: confidential records.

Existing law prohibits the State Auditor, any current or former employee of the Bureau of State Audits, any person or business entity that is contracting with or has contracted with the bureau and the current and former employees of those persons and business entities, the officers and employees of any state or local governmental agency or publicly created entity that has assisted the bureau in its audits or has received specified information from the bureau for comment or review, and any person or business entity that is contracting with or has contracted with those state or local governmental agencies or publicly created entities from divulging or making known to any person not employed by the bureau, in any manner not expressly permitted by law, any particulars of any record, document, or information, the disclosure of which is restricted by law from release to the public. Existing law provides that any officer, employee, or person who violates this prohibition is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would specify that the officers and employees described above include the officers and employees of any state or local governmental agency or publicly created entity that is the subject of an ongoing audit or investigation. The bill would also state that its provisions are declarative of existing law.