(a)
Each agency, upon a request for a copy of records, shall, within 10 days from receipt of the request, determine whether the request, in whole or in part, seeks copies of disclosable public records in the possession of the agency and shall promptly notify the person making the request of the determination and the reasons therefor. If the agency determines that the request seeks disclosable public records, the agency shall also state the estimated date and time when the records will be made available.
(b)
In unusual circumstances, the time limit prescribed in this article and Article 1 (commencing with Section 7922.500) may be extended by written notice from the head of the agency or a designee
to the person making the request, setting forth the reasons for the extension and the date on which a determination is expected to be dispatched. The notice shall not specify a date that would result in an extension for more than 14 days.
(c)
As used in this section, “unusual circumstances” means the following, but only to the extent reasonably necessary to the proper processing of the particular request:
(1)
The need to search for and collect the requested records from field facilities or other establishments that are separate from the office processing the request.
(2)
The need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine a voluminous amount of separate and distinct records that are demanded in a single request.
(3)
The need for consultation, which shall be conducted with all practicable speed, with another agency having substantial interest in the determination of the request or among two or more components of the agency having substantial subject matter interest therein.
(4)
The need to compile data, to write programming language or a computer program, or to construct a computer report to extract data.
(5)
The inability of the agency, because of a cyberattack, to access its electronic servers or systems in order to search for and obtain a record that the agency believes is responsive to a request and is maintained on the servers or
systems in an electronic format.
(A)
This paragraph does not relieve the agency of its obligation to comply with subdivision (a) when the requested record is maintained in a location other than on the electronic server or system affected by the cyberattack, or maintained in a nonelectronic format.
(B)
This paragraph applies only until the agency regains its ability to access its electronic servers or systems and search for and obtain electronic records that may be responsive to a request.
(6)
The need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine records during a state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor
in the jurisdiction where the agency is located when the state of emergency currently and directly affects, due to the state of emergency, the agency’s ability to timely respond to requests due to staffing shortages or closure of facilities where the requested records are located.
(A)
This paragraph shall not apply to a request for records created during and related to the state of emergency proclaimed by the Governor.
(B)
For purposes of this paragraph, “state of emergency” means a state of emergency proclaimed pursuant to Section 8625 of the California Emergency Services Act (Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 8550) of Division 1 of Title 2).
