EUNICE M. ULLOA
Mayor
KAREN C. COMSTOCK
Mayor Pro Tem
March 19, 2024
The Honorable Kelly Seyarto
California State Senate
1021 0 Street, Suite 7120
Sacramento, CA 95814
CITY of CHINO
CURTIS BURTON
CHRISTOPHER FLORES
MARC LUCIO
Council Members
DR. LJNDA REICH
City Manager
RE: SB 1034 (Seyarto): California Public Records Act: State of Emergency City of Chino - Support
Dear Senator Seyarto,
On behalf of the City of Chino, I am writing today to support your SB 1034. SB 1034 adds a clause to the "unusual circumstances" definition pertaining to a request of the California Public Records Act (Records Act). If the Governor proclaims a state of emergency, this qualifies as an "unusual circumstance" as defined in SB 1034, which extends the response time for a public records request to no more than 14 additional days.
A state of emergency can affect state and local agencies' ability to timely respond to Records Act requests due to decreased staffing or closure of the agency's facilities. Additionally, difficulties can include a combination of resource constraints, logistical hurdles, safety concerns, and the need to prioritize immediate needs. SB 1034 allows for an extension to the existing law which requires agencies to respond within 1 O days of receiving the request, as the state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor falls under an "unusual circumstance". The agency would now have an extension of not more than 14 days to respond. With an extension during a state of emergency this will allow agencies to prioritize urgent and life-threatening situations, instead of allocating resources to stay within the Records Act compliance.
SB 1034 allows agencies to focus on keeping their communities safe during a state of emergency.
During a state of emergency agencies may face a surge in demand for their services while simultaneously experiencing resource constraints. These constraints can include shortages in staffing, equipment, and supplies, and immediate safety concerns, making it difficult to promptly respond to public record requests to stay within the compliance period. SB 1034 allows agencies to focus on keeping their communities safe in a state of emergency.
The City of Chino applauds your leadership on this issue and is honored to support SB 1034.
Sincerely,
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Mayor
13220 Central Avenue. Chino. California 91710
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 667. Chino. California 91708-0667 (909) 334-3250 • (909) 334-3720 Fax
Web Site: www.ci1yofchi11o.org
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