Data collection: demographics: Hispanic and Latino groups.

Existing law requires any state agency, board, or commission that directly or by contract collects demographic data as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of Californians to use separate collection categories and tabulations for each major Asian and Pacific Islander group, including, but not limited to, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, Asian Indian, Hawaiian, Guamanian, Samoan, Laotian, and Cambodian. This bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development, when it directly or by contract collects demographic data as to the ancestry or ethnic origin of Californians, to use separate collection categories and tabulations for Hispanic and Latino groups. The bill would further require the department to make the collected data available to the public, except for personal identifying information, which would be deemed confidential, by requiring the department, on or before July 1, 2024, to post, and annually update, the demographic data on the department's internet website. 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.