AB 541 Establishes a CPRA Ombudsman to Enforce Public Access to Government Records, Prohibits NDAs for Public Officials, and Ensures Accurate Ballot Titles
“California politicians are making critical decisions behind closed doors and intentionally violating state transparency laws. It’s time to demand true transparency in our state government!”
Assemblyman Carl DeMaio is taking bold action to combat secrecy and lack of accountability in California politics with the introduction of AB 541, the “Open Government Accountability Act.” This critical legislation seeks to expose and prevent transparency failures by California politicians who routinely violate state open government laws, deny public access to records, and manipulate election information.
AB 541 strengthens the California Public Records Act (CPRA) by creating an independent ombudsman tasked with reviewing and enforcing compliance with public records requests, ensuring that government agencies cannot illegally withhold information from journalists and the public.
Additionally, AB 541 will put an end to the practice of California politicians using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to hide vital government information from the public. The bill also targets deceptive election practices by requiring accurate and non-misleading ballot titles, preventing politicians from manipulating voters through deceptive wording.
DeMaio provides the following statement on the importance of passing AB 541:
“CA legislators are the worst offenders when it comes to violating transparency rules and depriving the public of their right to know about who is influencing decisions being made in government. My legislation would force the CA state legislature to lead by example and adhere to the highest transparency standards when doing the people’s business.”
KEY PROVISIONS OF AB 541:
- Creation of a CPRA Ombudsman: Establishes an independent ombudsman to review denied public records requests and order the release of information if a request was wrongfully denied.
- Eliminating Illegitimate NDAs: Prohibits California state officials from using NDAs to conceal government dealings from the public.
- Protecting Public and Media Access: Prevents the legislature from interfering with credentialed media conducting interviews and reporting on government proceedings.
- Ensuring Transparent Elections: Requires ballot proposition titles to be clear, non-misleading, and accurately reflect the measure’s contents.
By passing AB 541, California will take a major step toward restoring public trust in government and ensuring transparency is not just a promise, but a reality.