#T-101 STATE OF CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA LAW REVISION COMMISSION TENTATIVE RECOMMENDATION Technical and Minor Substantive Statutory Corrections: References to Recording Technology April 2007 The purpose of this tentative recommendation is to solicit public comment on the Commission’s tentative conclusions. A comment submitted to the Commission will be part of the public record. The Commission will consider the comment at a public meeting when the Commission determines what, if any, recommendation it will make to the Legislature. It is just as important to advise the Commission that you approve the tentative recommendation as it is to advise the Commission that you believe revisions should be made to it. COMMENTS ON THIS TENTATIVE RECOMMENDATION SHOULD BE RECEIVED BY THE COMMISSION NOT LATER THAN June 30, 2007. The Commission will often substantially revise a proposal in response to comment it receives. Thus, this tentative recommendation is not necessarily the recommendation the Commission will submit to the Legislature. California Law Revision Commission 4000 Middlefield Road, Room D-1 Palo Alto, CA 94303-4739 650-494-1335 <[email protected]> S U M M A R Y O F T E N T A T I V E R E C O M M E N D A T I O N The Commission proposes technical and minor substantive revisions to generalize and modernize existing statutory references to audio or video recording. Specifically, references to the use of a “tape,” “cassette,” “audiotape,” or “videotape” would be revised to instead refer in a generic manner to any recording technology. The revisions would thereby allow for use of existing digital recording technology that does not make use of a tape, as well as other recording technologies that may be developed in the future. The Commission solicits public comment on these proposed revisions. This recommendation was prepared pursuant to Government Code Section 8298. Tentative Recommendation • April 2007 T E C H N I C A L A N D M I N O R S U B S T A N T I V E S T A T U T O R Y C O R R E C T I O N S : R E F E R E N C E S T O R E C O R D I N G T E C H N O L O G Y 1 The Law Revision Commission is authorized by Government Code Section 2 8298 to study and recommend revisions correcting technical and minor substantive 3 defects in California statutes. 4 This tentative recommendation proposes statutory revisions to generalize and 5 modernize existing statutory references to audio or video recording. Specifically, 6 references to the use of a “tape,” “cassette,” “audiotape,” or “videotape” would be 7 revised to instead refer in a generic manner to any recording technology. The 8 revisions would thereby allow for use of existing digital recording technology that 9 does not make use of a tape, as well as other recording technologies that may be 10 developed in the future. 11 The Commission’s study of proposed technical and minor substantive statutory 12 revisions is ongoing. The Commission encourages interested persons to identify 13 other statutes that appear in need of technical or minor substantive revision. 14 Introduction 15 These revisions are consistent with two prior reforms: (1) a bill enacted in 2002, 16 revising numerous references to “audiotape and “videotape” in the Civil Discovery 17 Act,1 and (2) similar prior revisions to a limited number of sections in the Civil 18 Discovery Act recommended by the Commission in 2004, and subsequently 19 enacted into law.2 20 Most of the proposed revisions involve simply replacing a reference to “audio 21 tape” or “videotape” with references to “audio recording” or “video recording,” or 22 involve similar substitutions of terms. An example would be the proposed revision 23 to Business and Professions Code Section 19870: 24 19870. …. 25 (d) All proceedings at a meeting of the commission relating to a license 26 application shall be recorded stenographically or on audiotape or videotape by 27 audio or video recording.…. 28 However, there are some revisions that are less straightforward. They are 29 described below. 1. 2002 Cal. Stat. ch. 1068. 2. See 2005 Cal. Stat. ch. 294; Civil Discovery: Statutory Clarification and Minor Substantive Improvements, 34 Cal. L. Revision Comm’n Reports 146 (2004). – 1 – Tentative Recommendation • April 2007 1 Recording of Closed Sessions of Public Meetings 2 Government Code Section 11130 allows a court to order a public body to “tape 3 record” the closed sessions of its meetings, and preserve the “tape” or “tape 4 recording” for potential disclosure or discovery, following a judgment that the 5 body has previously violated a provision of law governing closed sessions. 6 The section is presumably intended to provide means to verify that a public 7 body already found to have committed a violation relating to its closed sessions 8 does not continue to do so. Given that context, the Commission invites comment 9 on whether allowing a recording technology that does not record sound on a 10 discrete and readily identifiable medium could effect a substantive change in the 11 section. For example, it could be that a digital recording stored only on a computer 12 hard drive is more easily lost, or altered in an undetectable manner, than a 13 recording on tape. 14 Videotaping of Testimony in Criminal Case 15 Four sections of the Penal Code (Sections 1346, 1346.1, 1347, and 1347.5), 16 provide for the videotaping of a victim’s testimony in criminal cases when the 17 victim is in a special class, and the defendant is charged with a specified crime. 18 Three of the four sections expressly indicate that any videotaping allowed is 19 subject to a protective order for the purpose of protecting the privacy of the victim. 20 The Commission invites comment on whether recording through use of 21 technology that does not record on an easily identifiable and segregable medium 22 could effect a substantive change in these sections. The specific concern is that if 23 such technology was used, it might be more difficult for the court to control access 24 to the recording, increasing the likelihood of a privacy breach. ____________________ – 2 – Tentative Recommendation • April 2007 CONTENTS PROPOSED LEGISLATION ...............................................................................................................................1 BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE.......................................................................................................1 Bus. & Prof. Code § 3635 (amended). Continuing education .................................................................2 Bus. & Prof. Code § 4846.5 (amended). Continuing education ..............................................................2 Bus. & Prof. Code § 8027 (amended). Court reporting school requirements.........................................5 Bus. & Prof. Code § 17539.55 (amended). Sweepstakes using 900 numbers ........................................9 Bus. & Prof. Code § 19513 (amended). Examinations ..........................................................................10 Bus. & Prof. Code § 19576 (amended). Recording of race for commercial purpose...........................11 Bus. & Prof. Code § 19861 (amended). Licensing of gambling establishment....................................11 Bus. & Prof. Code § 19870 (amended). Grant or denial of license.......................................................12 Bus. & Prof. Code § 21701.1 (amended). Transport of storage containers ..........................................13 Bus. & Prof. Code § 25658.4 (amended). Professional competency examination...............................15 CIVIL CODE .................................................................................................................................................17 Civ. Code § 916 (amended). Inspection and testing ...............................................................................17 Civ. Code § 922 (amended). Recording of repair...................................................................................18 Civ. Code § 1799.3 (amended). Disclosure of personal information ....................................................18 Civ. Code § 3344.1 (amended). Use of deceased personality’s likeness ..............................................19 CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE....................................................................................................................22 Code Civ. Proc. § 129 (amended). Reproduction of image of deceased person...................................22 Code Civ. Proc. § 1033.5 (amended). Allowable costs..........................................................................23 Code Civ. Proc. § 2025.560 (amended). Recording of deposition testimony.......................................25 EDUCATION CODE.......................................................................................................................................25 Educ. Code § 8971 (amended). Definitions ............................................................................................25 Educ. Code § 17002 (amended). Definitions ..........................................................................................26 Educ. Code § 18032 (amended). Library policy regarding video recordings.......................................29 Educ. Code § 19323 (amended). Loan of audio recordings...................................................................30 Educ. Code § 32255 (amended). Definitions ..........................................................................................30 Educ. Code § 49091.10 (amended). Parental right of inspection