Overview
- AB 1821, authored by Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco, passed the State Assembly and is now moving through the state Senate after this week’s round of amendments.
- The bill would let agencies impose hourly charges for search and review work of roughly $22.35 for administrative time plus $66.26 for professional time, a total near $88 per hour subject to cost‑of‑living increases.
- The measure creates a procedure for agencies to ask a court to find a requester has “malicious intent” and to pause fulfilling the request while that court decision is pursued.
- Pacheco and municipal backers say the changes are meant to shield cash‑strapped cities and counties from abusive or AI‑generated mass requests, while transparency groups warn the fee scheme and lawsuit power could be used to deter journalists, academics and ordinary citizens.
- Next steps to watch include Senate action before the legislative deadline and promised technical amendments, with critics pointing to a 2020 California Supreme Court ruling that limits charging for search work as a key legal flashpoint.