(a) The commission and the secretary shall keep confidential and shall not disclose, except when required by court order after a hearing in a judicial proceeding, all lists in their possession of persons subject to this chapter. However, the commission shall establish procedures to provide access to communication with other producers and handlers regarding noncommercial matters affecting the commission and persons subject to its jurisdiction. The access shall not include the actual release of the list of the names and addresses of producers and handlers in the possession of the commission or the secretary. In addition, notwithstanding any other provision of law, all proprietary or trade secret information developed or gathered pursuant to this chapter, including, but not limited to, names and addresses of handlers, producers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, brokers and shippers, individual quantities produced, handled, shipped, bought or sold, prices paid, and the products of research obtained by the commission, or by the department on behalf of the commission, from any source is confidential and shall not be considered a public record as that term is defined in Section 6252 of the Government Code.

(b) Upon receipt of a request for information from a person establishing cause for the request, the department shall direct the commission to provide the requesting person any record in the commission’s possession, except that any proprietary information shall be removed before disclosure.

(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 567, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1999.)