AB 567 — Government practices.

Summary

(1) Existing law sets forth the duties and powers of the Bureau of State Audits and makes reference to audits and investigative audits. Existing law also prohibits the State Auditor or his or her employees from releasing to the public, among other things, any papers, correspondence, or any substantive information pertaining to any audit not completed. This bill would revise the authority of the Bureau of State Audits to specifically perform investigations and would delete the reference to investigative audits. The bill would make conforming changes. (2) The California Whistleblower Protection Act sets forth the circumstances and procedures under which a state employee, as defined, may report improper governmental activities, as defined, or make a protected disclosure, as defined, to the State Auditor, and prohibits retaliation or reprisal against a state employee for these acts. This bill would add an individual appointed by the Legislature to a state board or commission and who is not a Member or employee of the Legislature to the list of state employees covered by these provisions and would provide that state employee includes any former employee who met specified criteria during his or her employment. The bill would change the definition of improper governmental activity to include any activity by an employee that is undertaken in the performance of the employee's duties, undertaken inside a state office, or, if undertaken outside a state office by the employee, directly relates to state government, whether or not that activity is within the scope of his or her employment, and would change the definition of protected disclosure to specifically include any good faith communication to the Bureau of State Audits alleging an improper governmental activity and any evidence delivered to the Bureau of State Audits in support of the allegation. The State Auditor also would be authorized to provide to the employees' appointing power any evidence gathered during the investigation that in his or her judgment is necessary to support an adverse action. The State Auditor would be required to create, as specified, the means for the submission of reports of improper governmental activity both by transmission via mail or other carrier to a specified mailing address and by electronic transmission through an Internet Web site portal. The State Auditor would be prohibited from disclosing the identity of a person who provides information in confidence to further an investigation, subject to specified exceptions. The State Auditor may include recommended actions to prevent the continuation or recurrence of the improper governmental activity with the report that details the improper governmental activity to the head of the employing agency.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 10/11/09 - Chaptered Current pdf October 11, 2009
• Enrolled 09/11/09 - Enrolled pdf September 11, 2009
• Amended 09/02/09 - Amended Senate pdf September 02, 2009
• Amended 07/16/09 - Amended Senate pdf July 16, 2009
• Amended 06/25/09 - Amended Senate pdf June 25, 2009
• Amended 04/23/09 - Amended Assembly pdf April 23, 2009
• Introduced 02/25/09 - Introduced pdf February 25, 2009
• AB567 View text html

Action History

1. October 11, 2009

   Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 452, Statutes of 2009.

2. October 11, 2009

   Approved by the Governor.

3. September 28, 2009

   Enrolled and to the Governor at 1 p.m.

4. September 09, 2009

   Senate amendments concurred in. To enrollment. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 3175.)

5. September 09, 2009

   Assembly Rule 77 suspended. (Page 3152.)

6. September 08, 2009

   In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. May be considered on or after September 10 pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.

7. September 04, 2009

   Read third time, passed, and to Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2225.)

8. September 02, 2009

   Ordered to Special Consent Calendar.

9. September 02, 2009

   Read second time and amended. Ordered to third reading.

10. September 01, 2009

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (August 27).

11. August 17, 2009

    In committee: Placed on Appropriations suspense file.

12. July 16, 2009

    Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.

13. July 15, 2009

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended, and re-refer to Com. on APPR with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 5. Noes 0.) (July 14).

14. July 07, 2009

    In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

15. July 01, 2009

    In committee: Set, second hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

16. June 29, 2009

    In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

17. June 25, 2009

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.

18. June 17, 2009

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

19. June 09, 2009

    From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Re-referred. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (June 9).

20. May 21, 2009

    Referred to Coms. on G.O. and JUD.

21. May 14, 2009

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

22. May 14, 2009

    Read third time, passed, and to Senate. (Ayes 73. Noes 0. Page 1468.)

23. May 11, 2009

    Read second time. To Consent Calendar.

24. May 07, 2009

    From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (May 6).

25. April 27, 2009

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

26. April 23, 2009

    Read second time and amended.

27. April 22, 2009

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended, and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (April 22).

28. April 15, 2009

    From committee: Do pass, and re-refer to Com. on P.E.,R. & S.S. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Re-referred. (Ayes 9. Noes 0.) (April 14).

29. March 31, 2009

    Referred to Coms. on B. & P. and P.E.,R. & S.S.

30. February 26, 2009

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 28.

31. February 25, 2009

    Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

• Villines · Primary

Votes

Subjects