May 5, 2026
The Honorable Blanca Pacheco
California State Assembly
1021 O Street, 4510
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: Assembly Bill 1821 — California Public Records Act: Agency Response Time — SUPPORT As Amended April 6, 2026)
Dear Assemblymember Pacheco:
On behalf of the City of Chino, I write in support of Assembly Bill 1821, which would make a narrow but important clarification to the California Public Records Act by calculating certain agency response periods in business days rather than calendar days.
Public agencies are committed to transparency and providing timely access to public records. At the same time, the volume, complexity, and format of public records have changed significantly. Requests now routinely involve large volumes of email, text messages, electronic files, audio and video recordings, body-worn camera footage, and other digital records that must be searched, reviewed, and, when legally required, redacted before release. This work often requires coordination among multiple departments, information technology staff, legal counsel, and records personnel.
Current law requires an agency to make its initial determination within 10 calendar days, with a possible 14-calendar-day extension under unusual circumstances. Because those timeframes include weekends and holidays, agencies may not have the full number of working days needed to conduct a thorough, legally compliant review. AB 1821 would provide a more practical and consistent framework by changing those periods to 10 business days and 14 business days.
This adjustment is especially important for local agencies where staffing is limited and public records responsibilities are often carried out by employees who also support public meetings, elections, boards and commissions, agenda management, contract routing, records management, and other core services. A business-day standard would not reduce an agency’s obligation to respond to records requests or make disclosable records available. Rather, it would help ensure that agencies have a reasonable opportunity to identify responsive records, determine whether exemptions apply, protect confidential or legally protected information, and provide accurate responses.
For the City of Chino, the number of public records requests have increased significantly, and the requests received have become more complex, requiring more interdepartmental coordination in recent years. In Fiscal Year 2024/25, Chino received approximately 1,300 requests, many of which required review of emails, text messages, video footage, police records, contracts, personnel-related records, etc. Even when staff work diligently, weekends and holidays can materially reduce the actual time available to complete the required review. AB 1821 would provide a more realistic timeline while preserving the public’s right to access disclosable public records.
California’s local agency clerks, records managers, and other public records professionals see firsthand how important it is to balance prompt public access with careful legal compliance. AB 1821 supports that balance. It recognizes that public records work is not simply a matter of locating a document; it frequently requires thoughtful review to protect privacy, privileged communications, confidential information, and other records exempt from disclosure under state or federal law.
For these reasons, the City of Chino supports AB 1821. We thank you for your leadership on this most important issue.
Please do not hesitate to contact Vivian Castro, Deputy City Manager, at [email protected] or 909-334-3307 should you have any questions or wish to discuss our position.
Sincerely,
Eunice M. Ulloa
Mayor
cc: Assembly Committee on Appropriations
Honorable Susan Rubio
Honorable Michelle Rodriguez
Chino City Council
California Municipal Clerks Association
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 667, Chino, California 91708-0667 (909) 334-3250 • (909) 334-3720 Fax
Web Site: www.cityofchino.org
June 5, 2025, p.2
Hon. Blanca Pacheco
May 5, 2026
p.2
EUNICE M. ULLOA KAREN C. COMSTOCK
Mayor CHRISTOPHER FLORES
MARC LUCIO
Council Members
CURTIS BURTON DR. LINDA REICH
Mayor Pro Tem City Manager
CITY of CHINO