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Exhibit 1 <br />Assembly Bill No. 1945 <br />CHAPTER 1119 <br />An act to add Section 54963 to the Government Code, relating to open meetings. <br />[Approved by Governor September 30, 2002. <br />Filed with Secretary of State September 30, 2002.] <br />LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST <br />AB 1945, Simitian. Open meetings: closed sessions: confidential information. <br />The Ralph M. Brown Act generally requires that the meetings of the legislative body of a <br />local agency be conducted openly and publicly, but also provides that the legislative body <br />of a local agency may hold closed sessions for specified purposes. The act provides that a <br />member of a legislative body who attends a meeting of that body where action is taken in <br />violation of the act, and where the member intends to deprive the public of information to <br />which the member knows or has reason to know the public is entitled under the act, is <br />guilty of a misdemeanor. <br />This bill would provide that a person may not disclose confidential information, as defined, <br />that has been acquired by being present in a closed session authorized under the act, as <br />specified, unless the legislative body authorizes disclosure of that confidential information. <br />The bill would provide that a violation of these provisions may be addressed by the <br />use of remedies that are currently available by law, including, but not limited to, <br />injunctive relief to prevent the disclosure of confidential information under these <br />provisions, disciplinary action against an employee who has willfully disclosed <br />confidential information, and the referral of a member of a legislative body who has <br />willfully disclosed confidential information to the grand jury for investigation and <br />possible accusation under specified procedures. The bill would provide that a local <br />agency may not take any of these actions against a person for making a confidential <br />inquiry or complaint to a district attorney or grand jury concerning a perceived violation of <br />law, expressing an opinion concerning the propriety or legality of actions taken by a <br />legislative body in closed session, including disclosing specified facts to a district attorney <br />or grand jury to establish the illegality of action taken or potential illegality of action <br />deliberated upon that would be illegal if the action is taken, or disclosing information <br />acquired by being present in a closed session that is not confidential information. <br />The people of the State of California do enact as follows: <br />SECTION 1. Section 54963 is added to the Government Code, to read: <br />54963. (a) A person may not disclose confidential information that has been acquired by <br />being present in a closed session authorized by Section 54956.7, 54956.8, 54956.86, <br />54956.87, 54956.9, 54957, 54957.6, 54957.8, or 54957.10 to a person not entitled to <br />receive it, unless the legislative body authorizes disclosure of that confidential information. <br />(b) For purposes of this section, "confidential information" means a communication made <br />in a closed session that is specifically related to the basis for the legislative body of a local <br />agency to meet lawfully in closed session under this chapter. <br />19C-5 <br />