Address confidentiality: public entity employees and contractors.

(1) Existing law authorizes reproductive health care service providers, employees, volunteers, and patients to complete an application to be approved by the Secretary of State for the purposes of enabling state and local agencies to respond to requests for public records without disclosing a program participant's residence address contained in any public record and otherwise provide for confidentiality of identity for that person, subject to specified conditions. Existing law requires an applicant seeking address confidentiality under this program due to their affiliation with a reproductive health care services facility to provide a certified statement signed by a person authorized by the reproductive health care services facility stating that the facility or any of its providers, employees, volunteers, or patients is or was the target of threats or acts of violence within one year of the date of the application. Under existing law, any person who makes a false statement in an application is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would authorize an applicant seeking address confidentiality under this program to submit a certified statement by the employee, patient, or volunteer for a reproductive health care services facility that they have been the target of threats, harassment, or acts of violence, or a workplace violence restraining order issued because of threats or acts of violence connected with a reproductive health care services facility, as specified, instead of a certified statement from a representative of the reproductive health care services facility. This bill would also expand the address confidentiality program to include other individuals who face threats of violence or violence or harassment from the public because of their work for a public entity. The bill would require an individual seeking to make their address confidential under these provisions to complete the application in person at a community-based assistance program designated by the Secretary of State. The bill would require the application process to include a requirement that the applicant meet with a counselor and receive orientation information about the program. By imposing new duties on local public officials and expanding the scope of a crime, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law permits an individual to seek confidential voter status and have their residence address, telephone number, and email address declared confidential upon presentation of certification that the person is a participant in among other programs, the Address Confidentiality for Reproductive Health Care Service Providers, Employees, Volunteers, and Patients program. This bill would include individuals who work for a public entity and who participate in the expanded address confidentiality program described above within the category of people eligible for confidential voter status. (3) Existing law requires an election official to post a list of all polling places and precinct board members at specified times before an election. Existing law requires this list to be posted at the elections official's office and on their official website. Existing law requires an election official to include the political party affiliation for each listed precinct board member. This bill would eliminate the requirement to post the names of the precinct board members, but would still require the election official to post the political party preference for all precinct board members, as specified. (4) Existing law requires a county elections official, upon application of a public safety officer and if authorized by the county board of supervisors, to make confidential an officer's residence address, telephone number, and email address appearing on the affidavit of registration, as specified. Under existing law, an application for confidential voter status is required to contain a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, that the person is a public safety officer and that a life-threatening circumstance exists to the officer or a member of the officer's family, as specified. This bill would create a similar program for qualified workers, as defined, that includes a requirement to submit an application, signed under penalty of perjury, that they are a qualified worker and that a life-threatening circumstance exists to the worker or members of the worker's family. By creating a new crime, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Secretary of State to submit an annual report to the Legislature that includes the total number of applications received for the program, the number of program participants within each county, and any allegations of misuse of the program relating to election purposes, as specified. (5) 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 with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (6) 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. (7) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.