County recorders: veterans: recorded documents.

Existing law directs the county recorder, if any military veteran or a family member or legal representative of the veteran authorized by law to receive a certified copy of specified documents requests the recordation of any military discharge document, including a veteran's service form DD214, to sign a form that acknowledges that the document becomes part of the official record of the county. This bill would remove the directive to require the veteran or authorized person sign a form acknowledging that the document becomes part of the official record of the county. The bill would instead require a county recorder, upon request by a military veteran or authorized person for recordation of a military discharge document, including the DD214, to record the document and maintain the document in a nonpublic index. The bill also would require the index of a recorded veteran's service form DD214, if recorded after a certain date, to be moved to a nonpublic index at the request of the military veteran or a person authorized to receive a certified copy. The bill would permit only the military veteran or the person authorized to receive a certified copy of a record under existing law to receive a copy of the recorded document contained in the nonpublic index. By increasing the duties of local officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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. 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.