California Coastal Commission: ex parte communications: database.

The California Coastal Act of 1976 establishes the California Coastal Commission, and prescribes the membership and functions and duties of the commission. For purposes of the act, an "ex parte communication" is defined as any oral or written communication between a member of the commission and an interested person, as defined, about a matter within the commission's jurisdiction, as defined, that does not occur in a public hearing, workshop, or other official proceeding or on the official record of the proceeding on the matter, excluding certain communications, including communications between a staff member acting in his or her official capacity and any commission member or interested person, as prescribed. The act prohibits a commission member and an interested person from conducting an ex parte communication unless the member fully discloses and makes public the ex parte communication by providing a full report of the communication to the executive director of the commission within 7 days after the communication or, if the communication occurs within 7 days of the next commission hearing, to the commission on the record of the proceeding at that hearing. This bill would, as of July 1, 2018, delete the requirement that the commission member provide a full report of the communication to the executive director of the commission within 7 days after the communication or, if the communication occurs within 7 days of the next commission hearing, to the commission on the record of the proceeding at that hearing. The bill would instead prohibit ex parte communication unless the commission member complies with specified requirements, including verbally disclosing at the hearing all ex parte communications that occurred on any given item to be heard at the hearing, including the identity of the person or persons engaging in the communication, prior to that item being heard at the hearing. This bill would additionally require the commission, no later than July 1, 2018, to develop, implement, and maintain a publicly searchable database for the online reporting of ex parte communications required to be disclosed pursuant to these provisions. The bill would require that the database be regularly updated to include all information pertaining to an ex parte communication between a commission member and an interested person, and that any disclosure of an ex parte communication be made available to the public on the online database within 7 days from the date the communication takes place. The bill would require that, for ex parte communications that take place less than 7 days prior to the hearing on the matter, the disclosure be posted on the online database prior to the beginning of the hearing at which the matter to which the communication pertains will be discussed. The bill would require the commission member to be personally responsible for ensuring the database is updated with their ex parte communications, as prescribed.