The California Public Records Act: visual or audio recording of peace officer's death: conditional exemption from disclosure.

(1) The California Public Records Act requires a public agency, defined as any state or local agency, to make its public records available for inspection or to provide copies of its public records upon payment of specified fees, unless an exemption from disclosure applies. The act declares that access to information concerning the conduct of the people's business is a fundamental and necessary right of every person in this state. Among other exemptions, the act exempts from disclosure records of complaints to, or investigations conducted by, any state or local police agency. This bill would prohibit a public agency from disclosing a visual or audio recording of the death of a peace officer killed in the line of duty, unless the disclosure is authorized by the peace officer's immediate family, in which case, the bill would require the public agency to disclose the visual or audio recording. (2) Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of 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. (3) 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. (4) 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.