FAC opposes AB 1821, a bill that would frustrate public access to information by giving government agencies more time to provide initial responses to anyone seeking information under the California Public Records Act. That initial response does not require agencies to produce records. It simply requires them to say whether they have responsive records and whether those records will be disclosed or withheld. AB 1821 would allow government agencies to delay this straightforward, threshold communication, undermining the CPRA’s core promise of prompt transparency.
The bill was even more detrimental to transparency in its original form, which would have imposed high fees on records requesters. Amid mounting opposition, the author amended it to remove the fee provisions but is moving forward with the bill that would slow down the request process.
More:
- Lawmakers Are Trying to Slow-Walk Responses to Records Requests (4/15/2026)
- Reject the latest attempt to weaken California’s open-government laws (4/10/2026)
- California shouldn’t price the public out of public records. Democracy is at stake (4/6/2026)
- Want government records? This California lawmaker wants you to pay more for them (3/26/2026)
- Pebble Beach golf, Maui resorts, European tours: How special interests woo California lawmakers (3/20/2026)