Inspection of public records.

Existing law requires filing officers to hold nomination documents and signatures in lieu of filing fee petitions for a specified time. Existing law limits public access to these documents and allows only for the public to view them. This bill would require that nomination documents and signatures in lieu of filing fee petitions be furnished promptly upon request, and it would clarify that a member of the public need not request these records pursuant to the California Public Records Act. Existing law, the Political Reform Act of 1974, provides that every report and statement filed pursuant to the act is a public record that must be open for public inspection and reproduction during regular business hours, commencing as soon as practicable, but not later than the 2nd business day following the date received. The act prohibits imposing any conditions upon persons seeking to inspect reports and statements. This bill would specifically require that recipient committee campaign statements filed with local filing officers under the Political Reform Act be furnished promptly upon request, and it would clarify that a request to inspect or review these statements need not be made pursuant to the California Public Records Act. 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. 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 Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.