(a) No law providing for the confidentiality of any records or property shall prevent disclosure of information or documents obtained in connection with any audit, evaluation, investigation, or review conducted by the department unless the provision specifically refers to and precludes access, examination, and reproduction pursuant to Section 13293. Information or documents obtained in connection with any audit, evaluation, investigation, or review conducted by the department are subject to any limitations on release of the information or documents as may apply to an employee or officer of the state or local governmental agency or publicly created entity that provided the information or documents to the department. Providing confidential information to the department pursuant to this section, including, but not limited to, confidential information that is subject to a privilege, shall not constitute a waiver of that privilege.

(b) For purposes of this section, “confidentiality of records or property” means that the record or property may lawfully be kept confidential as a result of a statutory or common law privilege or any other provision of law.

(c) Any information or documents obtained in connection with an audit, evaluation, investigation, or review conducted by the department may be kept confidential and disclosure of the information or documents shall not be required under the California Public Records Act if the department determines that nondisclosure would protect a person from potential retaliation or fear of retaliation for participating in the audit, evaluation, investigation, or review.

(d) An employee of a state agency, local agency, or publicly created entity, including the entity subject to the audit, shall not publicly disclose papers, correspondence, memoranda, draft audit findings, or information related to those audit findings, or any other content pertaining to any ongoing audit, evaluation, investigation, or review without the department’s express permission. This limitation on disclosure regarding an ongoing audit also applies to the department and any entity who assists the department with an audit, evaluation, investigation, or review.

(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 37, Sec. 20. (AB 1817) Effective June 27, 2018.)