Title GOV — California Gov. Code

Each court and the Judicial Council, under subdivision (b) of Section 68619, shall adopt rules to allow for the arbitration of cases designated by the court as “Uninsured Motorist” in which an action is filed against a defendant who is an uninsured motorist and the plaintiff’s cl…

The Judicial Council, in conjunction with other interested groups as it determines appropriate, may prepare and administer a program, consistent with the policies and requirements of this article, for the training of judges in administering the delay reduction program.

Judges shall, in consultation with the bar of the county to the maximum extent feasible develop and publish the procedures, standards, and policies which will be used in the program, including time standards for the conclusion of all critical steps in the litigation process, incl…

The Judicial Council may receive and expend on the programs established by this article any funds available from county, state, or federal government or other sources which may be available for such purposes.

Nothing in this article is intended to prevent a presiding judge from directing the use of the methods of delay reduction specified in Section 68607 by judges who are not part of an exemplary delay reduction program. This section shall cease to be operative on July 1, 1992.

In its discretion, the Judicial Council may contract out for performance of any of the duties imposed by this article.

Delay reduction rules shall not require shorter time periods than as follows: (a) Service of the complaint within 60 days after filing. Exceptions, for longer periods of time, (1) may be granted as authorized by local rule, and (2) shall be granted on a showing that service could…

On or before October 30, 2002, the Judicial Council shall submit a report to the Legislature and the Governor regarding the effectiveness of the Centers for Complex Litigation established pursuant to the Budget Act of 1999. The report shall examine, among other things, the number…

(a) The Judicial Council shall review all local delay reduction rules adopted by courts and any revisions or new rules adopted by them and make recommendations to the courts of revisions so that these rules are consistent, to the extent desirable, with other court rules. (b) The …

(a) Each superior court shall establish a delay reduction program for limited civil cases in consultation with the local bar that is consistent with the provisions of this article. In its discretion, the Judicial Council may assist in the development of, or may develop and adopt,…

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) That our legal system cannot provide “equal justice under law” unless all persons have access to the courts without regard to their economic means. California law and court procedures should ensure that court fees are n…

An initial fee waiver shall be granted by the court at any stage of the proceedings at both the appellate and trial court levels if an applicant meets the standards of eligibility and application requirements under Sections 68632 and 68633. An initial fee waiver excuses the appli…

For purposes of this article, a conservatee, ward, or person for whom a conservatorship or guardianship is sought, shall be deemed the “applicant,” and the conservator, guardian, or person or persons seeking to establish the conservatorship or guardianship shall be deemed the “pe…

Permission to proceed without paying court fees and costs because of an applicant’s financial condition shall be granted initially to all of the following persons: (a) An applicant who is receiving public benefits under one or more of the following programs: (1) Supplemental Secu…

(a) An applicant for an initial fee waiver under subdivision (a) of Section 68632 shall complete, under penalty of perjury, a Judicial Council application form requiring the applicant to list his or her current street address, or another address where the court can contact the ap…

(a) This section applies to the processing and determination of fee waiver applications in the trial courts. (b) All applications for an initial fee waiver shall be accepted for filing. If an applicant submits an application without providing all required information to complete …

(a) This section applies to the processing and determination of fee waiver applications in the appellate courts. (b) All completed applications for a fee waiver shall be accepted for filing. If an application is submitted without all required information filled out on the form, t…

(a) This section applies only to waivers of trial court fees. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a person who is sentenced to the state prison or confined in a county jail shall pay the full amount of the trial court filing fees and costs to the extent provi…

(a) After the court has granted an initial fee waiver in whole or in part, and before final disposition of the case, the person who received the initial fee waiver shall notify the court within five days of any change in financial circumstances that affects his or her ability to …

(a) This section applies only to waivers of trial court fees. (b) (1) If a party whose trial court fees and costs were initially waived is a prevailing party within the meaning of Section 1032 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the judgment or dismissal entered in favor of the party…

(a) The trial court may execute on any order for payment of initially waived fees and costs in the same manner as on a judgment in a civil action. The court may issue an abstract of judgment, a writ of execution, or both, for all of the following: (1) Recovery of the initially wa…

An initial fee waiver shall expire 60 days after the judgment, dismissal, or other final disposition of the case.

The Judicial Council may adopt a rule of court to allow litigants who are not eligible for a fee waiver to pay court fees in installments.

The Judicial Council shall adopt rules and forms to establish uniform procedures to implement this article, including, but not limited to, procedures for all of the following: (a) Considering and determining applications to proceed without paying court fees and costs at every sta…

The Judicial Council shall develop an online tool for adjudicating infraction violations, including ability-to-pay determinations. The Judicial Council shall implement the tool on a phased schedule and shall make this tool available statewide on or before June 30, 2024. A defenda…

For all infraction violations for which a personal appearance is not required, a court may allow defendants to agree to forfeit bail, plead guilty or nolo contendere, request an ability-to-pay determination, or otherwise adjudicate matters through the use of technology. (a) The d…

A defendant’s request for an ability-to-pay determination through the online tool shall not impact their eligibility to attend traffic violator school pursuant to Section 42005 of the Vehicle Code.

(a) By June 30, 2024, every court shall offer online ability-to-pay determinations using the tool developed by the Judicial Council. The following shall apply to ability-to-pay determinations made pursuant to this article: (1) The defendant has the burden of establishing the inab…

(a) A court may allow the online tool to electronically verify through encrypted transmittal whether the defendant receives public benefits, defined as any of the public benefits listed in subdivision (a) of Section 68632, by accessing a statewide, county, or other political subd…

(a) A court may offer trials by declaration through an online tool for all infractions for which a personal appearance is not required. If a court offers online trials pursuant to this section, all of the following shall apply, notwithstanding Section 40902 of the Vehicle Code: (…

(a) No later than February 1, 2022, and annually until February 1, 2025, the Judicial Council shall provide to the Legislature a report including the following information from participating courts that have adopted online ability-to-pay determinations for infraction violations: …

(a) On or before January 10 of each year, the Department of Finance, in consultation with the Judicial Council, shall estimate the level of funding needed to backfill the judicial branch for the amount reduced based upon the ability-to-pay determinations granted to defendants pur…

This division does not allow limitations on access to a public record based upon the purpose for which the record is being requested, if the record is otherwise subject to disclosure.

(a) Notwithstanding the definition of “member of the public” in Section 7920.515, an elected member or officer of any state or local agency is entitled to access to public records of that agency on the same basis as any other person. Nothing in this section shall limit the abilit…

Notwithstanding Section 7921.305 or any other provision of law, when the members of a legislative body of a local agency are authorized to access a writing of the body or of the agency as permitted by law in the administration of their duties, the local agency, as defined in Sect…

Unless disclosure is otherwise prohibited by law, the provisions listed in Section 7920.505 do not prevent any agency from opening its records concerning the administration of the agency to public inspection.

(a) As used in this section, “agency” includes a member, agent, officer, or employee of the agency acting within the scope of that membership, agency, office, or employment. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, if a state or local agency discloses to a member of the public a public…

A state or local agency shall allow an inspection or copying of any public record or class of public records not exempted by this division when requested by a district attorney.

(a) If a district attorney makes a request to a state or local agency to inspect or receive a copy of a public record or class of public records not exempted by this division, and the state or local agency fails or refuses to allow inspection or copying within 10 working days of …

Disclosure of records to a district attorney under the provisions of this division shall effect no change in the status of the records under any other provision of law.

Every agency may adopt regulations in accordance with this article stating the procedures to be followed when making its records available.

(a) The following state and local bodies shall establish written guidelines for accessibility of records: (1) All regional water quality control boards. (2) Bay Area Air Pollution Control District. (3) California Coastal Commission. (4) Department of Financial Protection and Inno…

(a) Guidelines and regulations adopted pursuant to this article shall be consistent with all other sections of this division and shall reflect the intention of the Legislature to make the records accessible to the public. (b) Guidelines and regulations adopted pursuant to this ar…

If a local agency, except a school district, maintains an internet resource, including, but not limited to, an internet website, internet web page, or internet web portal, which the local agency describes or titles as “open data,” and the local agency voluntarily posts a public r…

For purposes of this article: (a) “Enterprise system” means a software application or computer system that satisfies all of the following conditions: (1) It collects, stores, exchanges, and analyzes information that the agency uses. (2) It is a multidepartmental system or a syste…

For purposes of this article, “system of record” means a system that serves as an original source of data within an agency.

(a) In implementing this division, each local agency, except a local educational agency, shall create a catalog of enterprise systems. (b) The local agency shall complete and post the catalog as required by this article by July 1, 2016, and thereafter shall update the catalog ann…

(a) The catalog of enterprise systems required by Section 7922.710 shall be made publicly available upon request in the office of the person or officer designated by the agency’s legislative body. (b) If the agency has an internet website, the catalog shall be posted in a promine…

(a) The catalog of enterprise systems required by Section 7922.710 shall disclose a list of the enterprise systems utilized by the agency. (b) For each system, the catalog shall also disclose all of the following: (1) Current system vendor. (2) Current system product. (3) A brief…

(a) This article shall not be interpreted to limit a person’s right to inspect public records pursuant to this division. (b) Nothing in this article shall be construed to permit public access to records held by an agency to which access is otherwise restricted by statute or to al…