Section 25512 Of Article 1. Business And Area Plans From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 20. >> Chapter 6.95. >> Article 1.
25512
. (a) As used in this section, "trade secret" means a trade
secret as defined in either subdivision (d) of Section 6254.7 of the
Government Code or Section 1061 of the Evidence Code.
(b) (1) If a business believes that the inventory required by this
article involves the release of a trade secret, the business shall
nevertheless provide this information to the unified program agency,
and shall notify the unified program agency in writing of that belief
on the inventory form.
(2) Subject to subdivisions (d) and (e), the unified program
agency shall protect from disclosure any information designated as a
trade secret by the business pursuant to paragraph (1).
(c) (1) Upon the receipt of a request for the release of
information to the public that includes information that the business
has notified the unified program agency is a trade secret pursuant
to paragraph (1) of subdivision (b), the unified program agency shall
notify the business in writing of the request by certified mail,
return receipt requested.
(2) The unified program agency shall release the requested
information to the public 30 days or more after the date of mailing
to the business the notice of the request for information, unless,
prior to the expiration of the 30-day period, the business files an
action in an appropriate court for a declaratory judgment that the
information is subject to protection under subdivision (b) or for an
injunction prohibiting disclosure of the information to the public,
and promptly notifies the unified program agency of that action.
(3) This subdivision does not permit a business to refuse to
disclose the information required pursuant to this section to the
unified program agency.
(d) Except as provided in subdivision (c), any information that
has been designated as a trade secret by a business is confidential
information for purposes of this section and shall not be disclosed
to anyone except the following:
(1) An officer or employee of the county, city, state, or the
United States, in connection with the official duties of that officer
or employee under any law for the protection of health, or
contractors with the county, city, or state and their employees if,
in the opinion of the unified program agency, disclosure is necessary
and required for the satisfactory performance of a contract, for
performance of work, or to protect the health and safety of the
employees of the contractor.
(2) A physician if the physician certifies in writing to the
unified program agency that the information is necessary to the
medical treatment of the physician's patient.
(e) A physician who, by virtue of having obtained possession of,
or access to, confidential information, and who, knowing that
disclosure of the information to the general public is prohibited by
this section, knowingly and willfully discloses the information in
any manner to a person not entitled to receive it, is guilty of a
misdemeanor.
(f) An officer or employee of the county or city, or former
officer or employee who, by virtue of that employment or official
position, has possession of, or has access to, confidential
information, and who, knowing that disclosure of the information to
the general public is prohibited by this section, knowingly and
willfully discloses the information in any manner to a person not
entitled to receive it, is guilty of a misdemeanor. A contractor with
the county or city and an employee of the contractor, who has been
furnished information as authorized by this section, shall be
considered an employee of the county or city for purposes of this
section.