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California bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

California AB 1821

California Public Records Act: agency response time.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed House
  4. Passed Senate
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

Sponsors

Summary

Official abstract published by the California legislature· summary

Existing law, the California Public Records Act, requires each state or local agency, upon a request for a copy of records that reasonably describes an identifiable record or records, to make the records promptly available to any person upon payment of fees covering direct costs of duplication, or a statutory fee if applicable, except with respect to public records exempt from disclosure by express provisions of law. Existing law requires each agency, within 10 days of a request for a copy of records, to determine whether the request seeks copies of disclosable public records in possession of the agency and to promptly notify the person of the determination and the reasons therefor. Existing law authorizes that time limit to be extended by no more than 14 days under unusual circumstances, as defined. This bill would instead require each agency to determine whether the request seeks copies of disclosable public records in possession of the agency and to promptly notify the person as described above within 10 business days of a request for a copy of records. The bill would instead authorize the time period for each agency to respond to be extended by no more than 14 business days. 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. 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.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 14, 2026, 8:13 PM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Aug 25, 2026
House		AB 1821 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate AmendmentspassSet your home in California to see
Aug 25, 2026
Senate		3rd Reading AB1821 Pacheco By CabaldonpassSet your home in California to see
Jun 30, 2026
Senate		Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see
May 27, 2026
House		AB 1821 Pacheco Assembly Third ReadingpassSet your home in California to see
Apr 22, 2026
House		Do pass.passSet your home in California to see
Apr 14, 2026
House		Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]passSet your home in California to see

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