BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 1009
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Date of Hearing: June 18, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW
Jim Frazier, Chair
SB 1009 (Liu) - As Introduced: February 13, 2014
SENATE VOTE : 37-0
SUBJECT : Public records
SUMMARY : Allows the Secretary of State (SOS) to appraise and
manage governors' records when they are transferred to the State
Archives (Archives). Specifically, this bill :
1)Allows the SOS to determine if governors' records are
appropriate for preservation in the Archives.
2)Requires the SOS to use professional archival practices in
assessing, arranging, conserving and storing these records.
EXISTING LAW :
1)States that the SOS is the custodian of the state's public
archives.
2)Requires custody of a governor's public records to be
transferred as soon as practical to the Archives when a
governor leaves office.
3)Allows the governor to restrict public access to any of these
transferred public records by issuing written instructions.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS : This bill is sponsored by the SOS to allow the SOS
to appraise and manage governors' records that are transferred
to the Archives when governors leave office. It would apply to
records already at the Archives as well as those transferred
from governors in the future. Current law allows the SOS to
select and manage other state agencies' records that are sent to
the Archives, but does not explicitly authorize the SOS to do so
for governors' records. While current law requires the transfer
of a governor's public records to the Archives and the SOS to
make records available to the public unless restrictions exist,
SB 1009
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it does not explicitly authorize the SOS to determine if such
records are appropriate for preservation in the Archives.
According to the SOS, the Archives is running out of storage
space. Transferring of all public records from governors means
that records are stored even if they lack archival value. The
Archives, which is located in downtown Sacramento, could reach
storage capacity in the next four to six years. According to
the SOS, records from the last three governors alone exceed
10,000 cubic feet, which comprises nearly 10% of the total
records held by the Archives.
This bill requires the SOS to use professional archival
practices when assessing, arranging, conserving and storing
governors' records. According to the SOS and supporters, which
include historical records preservation organizations, following
these practices will help preserve important public documents
and make them more accessible to the people of California.
There is no opposition on file.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
SOS (sponsor)
California Historical Records Advisory Board
Society of California Archivists
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Scott Herbstman / A. & A.R. / (916)
319-3600