BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 326
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 6, 2011

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                      SB 326 (Yee) - As Amended:  May 10, 2011 

          Policy Committee:                              
          JudiciaryVote:10-0 (Consent)

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program: 
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Judicial Council, to adopt, within 18 
          months, a rule of court requiring courts that have fully 
          implemented the California Case Management System (CCMS) to 
          provide same-day public access to "case-initiating civil and 
          criminal court records," as defined.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor absorbable administrative costs for the Judicial Council 
          to prepare and adopt the required rule of court relating.

           COMMENTS  

           Purpose  . This bill is co-sponsored by Californians Aware, 
          Courthouse News Service, and the First Amendment Coalition. 
          Although the public has a well-founded right of access to court 
          records, the author reports increasing delays in public access 
          to court records, with some courts apparently delaying public 
          access for as much as several weeks for newly filed complaints. 
          The bill, recognizing the courts' current fiscal constraints, 
          requires the Judicial Council, in consultation with stakeholder 
          groups, to adopt, within 18 months of the date of the bill's 
          enactment, a rule of court requiring courts that have fully 
          implemented the CCMS to provide, to the extent possible and 
          practicable, same-day access to case-initiating civil and 
          criminal court records. The Judicial Council is neutral on the 
          bill.

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081 









                                                                  SB 326
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