CA AB 1821
enactedCalifornia Public Records Act: agency response time.
California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · lower
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Quick answers
Did CA AB 1821 pass?
Yes. CA AB 1821 has been enacted into law. Latest recorded action (2026-09-30): Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 899, Statutes of 2026.
What is CA AB 1821 about?
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.
Who sponsors CA AB 1821?
Pacheco is the primary sponsor of CA AB 1821.
Description
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.
- Introduced
- 2026-03-16
- Latest action
- 2026-09-30 — Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 899, Statutes of 2026.
- Bill type
- bill
- Last updated
- —
Subjects
Sponsors
- Pachecoauthor
Committees
Not provided by source.
Action timeline
Newest first
2026-09-30
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 899, Statutes of 2026.
became-law
2026-09-30
Approved by the Governor.
executive-signature
2026-08-31
Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
2026-08-25
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).
2026-08-25
In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2026-08-25
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 50. Noes 3.).
2026-08-25
Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 50. Noes 3. Page 6506.).
amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-08-04
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2026-08-03
From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.
committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2
2026-07-01
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-06-25
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-06-10
Referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2026-06-10
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-05-28
In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
reading-1,referral-committee
2026-05-27
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 55. Noes 12.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-05-27
Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 55. Noes 12. Page 5439.)
passage,reading-1,reading-3
2026-04-23
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
reading-1,reading-2,reading-3
2026-04-22
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (April 22).
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable
2026-04-15
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 2.) (April 14). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee
2026-04-07
Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2026-04-06
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-03-17
Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2026-03-16
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.
amendment-introduction,amendment-passage,committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee
2026-03-16
Referred to Com. on JUD.
referral-committee
2026-02-12
From printer. May be heard in committee March 14.
2026-02-11
Read first time. To print.
reading-1
Versions
- 02/11/26 - Introduced — 2026-02-11Compare
- 03/16/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-03-16Compare
- 04/06/26 - Amended Assembly — 2026-04-06Compare
- 06/10/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-06-10Compare
- 06/25/26 - Amended Senate — 2026-06-25Compare
- 08/27/26 - Enrolled — 2026-08-27Compare
- 09/30/26 - Chaptered — 2026-09-30Compare
- AB1821Compare
- (document, no version)Compare
Documents
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Votes
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2026-04-14 · pass · 8-2
Member-level votes (12)
- Zbur: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Connolly: yes
- Papan: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Macedo: no
- Sanchez: no
- Dixon: other
- Bryan: other
Do pass.
2026-04-22 · pass · 11-2
Member-level votes (15)
- Dixon: yes
- Fong: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Krell: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Solache: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Hoover: no
- Ta: no
- Muratsuchi: other
- Calderon: other
AB 1821 Pacheco Assembly Third Reading
2026-05-27 · pass · 55-12
Member-level votes (80)
- Connolly: yes
- Stefani: yes
- Rivas: yes
- Michelle Rodriguez: yes
- Schiavo: yes
- Ávila Farías: yes
- Papan: yes
- Calderon: yes
- Sharp-Collins: yes
- Aguiar-Curry: yes
- Hart: yes
- Ramos: yes
- Addis: yes
- Boerner: yes
- Alvarez: yes
- Rogers: yes
- Soria: yes
- Harabedian: yes
- Jeff Gonzalez: yes
- Lee: yes
- McKinnor: yes
- Tangipa: yes
- Ellis: yes
- Zbur: yes
- Wicks: yes
- Bonta: yes
- Pellerin: yes
- Petrie-Norris: yes
- Carrillo: yes
- Berman: yes
- Valencia: yes
- Caloza: yes
- Wilson: yes
- Ahrens: yes
- Bauer-Kahan: yes
- Alanis: yes
- Blanca Rubio: yes
- Haney: yes
- Arambula: yes
- Gipson: yes
- Lowenthal: yes
- Quirk-Silva: yes
- Nguyen: yes
- Dixon: yes
- Krell: yes
- Patel: yes
- Mark González: yes
- Garcia: yes
- Solache: yes
- Kalra: yes
- Schultz: yes
- Pacheco: yes
- Ransom: yes
- Irwin: yes
- Muratsuchi: yes
- Bains: no
- Johnson: no
- Hoover: no
- Macedo: no
- DeMaio: no
- Wallis: no
- Davies: no
- Gallagher: no
- Patterson: no
- Sanchez: no
- Lackey: no
- Ta: no
- Elhawary: other
- Bennett: other
- Ward: other
- Celeste Rodriguez: other
- Flora: other
- Chen: other
- Gabriel: other
- Ortega: other
- Castillo: other
- Bryan: other
- Fong: other
- Hadwick: other
- Jackson: other
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
2026-06-30 · pass · 12-0
Member-level votes (13)
- Niello: yes
- Umberg: yes
- Laird: yes
- Stern: yes
- Ashby: yes
- Allen: yes
- Valladares: yes
- Weber Pierson: yes
- Wiener: yes
- Caballero: yes
- Reyes: yes
- Durazo: yes
- Wahab: other
Related bills
No related bills recorded for this bill.
Official source
Attribution
Data from openstates_api_sync, retrieved 2026-10-02T02:28:53.865645Z
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