(a) Within the meaning of this section, a “designated government employee” is any person defined as a “designated employee” by Government Code Section 82019, as amended.

(b) Any designated government employee who obtains information in the course of his or her official duties revealing the illegal discharge or threatened illegal discharge of a hazardous waste within the geographical area of his or her jurisdiction and who knows that the discharge or threatened discharge is likely to cause substantial injury to the public health or safety must, within 72 hours, disclose that information to the local Board of Supervisors and to the local health officer. No disclosure of information is required under this subdivision when otherwise prohibited by law, or when law enforcement personnel have determined that this disclosure would adversely affect an ongoing criminal investigation, or when the information is already general public knowledge within the locality affected by the discharge or threatened discharge.

(c) Any designated government employee who knowingly and intentionally fails to disclose information required to be disclosed under subdivision (b) shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year or by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code. The court may also impose upon the person a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5000) or more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000). The felony conviction for violation of this section shall require forfeiture of government employment within thirty days of conviction.

(d) Any local health officer who receives information pursuant to subdivision (b) shall take appropriate action to notify local news media and shall make that information available to the public without delay.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 15, Sec. 187. (AB 109) Effective April 4, 2011. Operative October 1, 2011, by Sec. 636 of Ch. 15, as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 39, Sec. 68. Note: This section was added on Nov. 4, 1986, by initiative Prop. 65 (the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986).)