AB 1637: Local government: internet websites and email addresses.

(1)The California Constitution authorizes cities and counties to make and enforce within their limits all local, police, sanitary, and other ordinances and regulations not in conflict with general laws and further authorizes cities organized under a charter to make and enforce all ordinances and regulations in respect to municipal affairs, which supersede inconsistent general laws.

The California Public Records Act requires a local agency to make public records available for inspection and allows a local agency to comply by posting the record on its internet website and directing a member of the public to the internet website, as specified.

This bill, no later than January 1, 2029, would require a local agency, as defined, that maintains an internet website for use by the public to ensure that the internet website utilizes a .gov top-level domain or a .ca.gov second-level domain and would require a local agency that maintains an internet website that is noncompliant with that requirement to redirect that internet website to a domain name that does utilize a .gov or .ca.gov domain. This bill, no later than January 1, 2029, would also require a local agency that maintains public email addresses to ensure that each email address provided to its employees utilizes a .gov domain name or a .ca.gov domain name. By adding to the duties of local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.

(3)The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.