§ 13293.5

It is a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, or by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine, if a person does any of the following:

(a) Fail or refuse to permit the examination of, access to, or reproduction of the records, files, documents, accounts, reports, correspondence, cash drawers, or cash of the person’s office by the department or in any way interferes with such examination conducted pursuant to this article.

(b) Interfere, intend to deceive or defraud, or obstruct the department in its performance of an audit, evaluation, investigation, or review pursuant to this article.

(c) Manipulate, correct, alter, or change records, documents, accounts, reports, or correspondence prior to or during any audit, evaluation, investigation, or review conducted pursuant to this article.

(d) Distribute, reproduce, release, or fail to safeguard confidential draft documents exchanged between the department and the entity subject to the audit, evaluation, investigation, or review conducted pursuant to this article prior to the release of the department’s final report and without the department’s express permission.

(Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 370, Sec. 142. (SB 1371) Effective January 1, 2021.)