Controlled substances: Research Advisory Panel: meetings.

Existing law creates a Research Advisory Panel, as specified, to conduct hearings on, and in other ways study, research projects concerning cannabis or hallucinogenic drugs in this state and the treatment of abuse of controlled substances. Existing law, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a state body be open and public and all persons be permitted to attend. Existing law authorizes certain state bodies to hold closed session meetings for certain purposes, including allowing the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery or its auxiliary committees to hold closed sessions for the purpose of discussing trade secrets or confidential or proprietary information. This bill would authorize the Research Advisory Panel to hold closed sessions for the purpose of discussing, reviewing, and approving research projects that contain sensitive and confidential information, including trade secrets, intellectual property, or proprietary information in its possession, the public disclosure of which is prohibited by law. The Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act authorizes a state body that is an advisory board, advisory commission, advisory committee, advisory subcommittee, or similar multimember advisory body to hold an open meeting by teleconference, subject to specified requirements. This bill would deem the Research Advisory Panel a multimember advisory body solely for the purposes of the above-described teleconferencing provisions. The bill would require the panel to provide a report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2026, that provides an update on the backlog of applications, as specified. This bill would make its provisions repealed or inoperative, as specified, on January 1, 2027. 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. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.