(1) Existing law creates in state government the California State Auditor’s Office, and requires that office to, among other things, conduct any audit of a state or local governmental agency or any other publicly created entity that is requested by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to the extent that funding is available. Existing law requires the auditor to maintain papers or memoranda used to support a completed audit for at least 3 years after the audit report is complete. Existing law generally provides that records held by the auditor are public records subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act, except that the auditor is prohibited from disclosing certain records.

Existing law prohibits the auditor, any current or former employee of the office, or other specified persons, from disclosing, in any manner not expressly permitted by law, the particulars of any record, document, or information relating to the office, the disclosure of which is otherwise restricted by law from release to the public. Existing law requires any state or local entity or agency to permit the California State Auditor to access specified documents for any audit or investigation, and provides that the authorized representative of the California State Auditor who is given access to records pursuant to this authorization is subject to any limitations on the release of that information as may apply to any employee or officer of the state or local agency from whom the records were obtained.

The California Constitution establishes the Commission on Judicial Performance and authorizes the Commission on Judicial Performance to, among other things, disqualify, suspend, retire, or censure a judge for specified acts of misconduct or disability that interfere with the performance of the judge’s duties, and authorizes the commission to establish rules governing confidentiality of complaints to, and investigations by, the commission.

This bill would provide that the auditor is prohibited, in accordance with the provisions described above that prohibit the auditor from disclosing certain records obtained as a part of an audit or investigation, from disclosing any paper, correspondence, record, document, or information the disclosure of which is restricted by any constitutional provision, statute, or rule, including a rule adopted by the Commission on Judicial Performance pursuant to the authority described above, from release to the public. The bill would state that the changes made by this bill are declaratory of existing law.

(2) Existing law, upon appropriation by the Legislature, requires 100 additional new judges to be provided for and allocated to the various county superior courts pursuant to an appointment schedule that requires 50 of the additional judges to be appointed on or after June 1, 2009.

This bill would reduce the total number of judges to be appointed on or after June 1, 2009, to 48 pursuant to the allocation of 2 of the 50 judgeships to the County of Riverside in the 2018 Budget Act.

(3) Existing law authorizes the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL-FIRE) to grant statewide certification to an individual as an emergency medical responder (EMR) if he or she is a graduate of a specified CAL-FIRE training program, received a letter of recommendation from the Director of CAL-FIRE, and, while participating in the training program, was working toward a high school diploma or its equivalent, unless he or she already earned one. Existing law also authorizes CAL-FIRE to grant a provisional certification as an EMR for a period of up to two 2-year certification cycles, but for no more than 4 years. Existing law requires the Emergency Medical Services Authority to promulgate emergency regulations for the process of establishing the certification process pursuant to these provisions.

This bill would delete the authority for CAL-FIRE to grant the provisional certification as described above. The bill would require the authority to obtain the approval of the Commission on Emergency Medical Services of the emergency regulations establishing the certification process, pursuant to a specified provision.

(4) The Budget Act of 2015 appropriated $17,882,000 from the Peace Officers’ Training Fund to allocate to cities, counties, and cities and counties for training expenses of full-time regularly paid employees.

This bill would reappropriate $5,247,484 of that amount and extend the period in which the reappropriated funds may be encumbered or expended to June 30, 2019.

(5) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.