The California Public Records Act: applications for licenses and licenses to carry firearms.

Existing law, the California Public Records Act, provides that public records are open to inspection at all times during the office hours of the state or local agency that retains those records, and every person has a right to inspect any public record, except as provided. However, existing law provides that nothing in the act shall be construed to require disclosure of information contained in an application for a license to carry a firearm that indicates when or where the applicant is vulnerable to attack or that concerns the applicant's medical or psychological history or that of members of his or her family. Existing law also provides that the provisions shall not be construed to require disclosure of the home address and telephone number of prosecutors, public defenders, peace officers, judges, court commissioners, and magistrates that are set forth in applications for licenses or in licenses to carry firearms, as specified. This bill would instead provide that the California Public Records Act shall not be construed to require the disclosure of home address information, as specified, and telephone numbers of applicants that are set forth in applications to carry firearms or of licensees that are set forth in licenses to carry firearms, as specified. This bill would also prohibit this provision from being construed as prohibiting the disclosure of public records relating to the reason an application for a license to carry a firearm was granted or denied, as specified. Because this bill would increase the duties of county sheriffs and the chiefs or other heads of police departments that issue firearms license applications, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. The California Constitution requires local agencies, for the purpose of ensuring public access to the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, to comply with a statutory enactment that amends or enacts laws relating to public records or open meetings and contains findings demonstrating that the enactment furthers the constitutional requirements relating to this purpose. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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.