(a) If a person believes that any information required to be reported or disclosed by this Chapter contains a trade secret, the person shall provide the information to the Director and shall notify the Director in writing of that belief, detailing the basis of the belief as to each specific item of information the person claims is a trade secret. For purposes of this Chapter, "trade secret" shall have the same meaning as it has under state law. The person designating information as a trade secret shall specify a name and street address for notification purposes and shall be responsible for updating such information. The Director shall not disclose any properly substantiated trade secret which is so designated by a person except as required by this Chapter or as otherwise required by law.
(b) Information designated as trade secret may be disclosed to an officer or employee of the City and County of San Francisco, the State of California, or the United States of America for use in connection with the official duties of such officer or employee acting under authority of law for the protection of health, without liability on the part of the City.
(c) When the Director or other City official or employee receives a request for information that has been designated as, or which the City determines may be, a trade secret, the City shall notify the person or business of the request. The City may request further evidence or explanation from the person as to why the information requested is a trade secret. If the City determines that the information does not constitute a trade secret, the City shall notify the person or business of that conclusion and that the information will be released by a specified date in order to provide the person or business the opportunity to obtain a court order prohibiting disclosure.
(d) In adopting this Chapter, the Board of Supervisors does not intend to authorize or require the disclosure to the public of any trade secrets protected under the laws of the State of California.
(e) This Section is not intended to empower a person or business to refuse to disclose any information, including but not limited to trade secrets, to the Director or other City Departments required under this Chapter.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Chapter, any officer or employee of the City and County of San Francisco, or former officer or employee or contractor with the City or employee thereof, who by virtue of such employment of official position has obtained possession or has had access to information, the disclosure of which is prohibited by this Section, and who, knowing that disclosure of the information is prohibited, knowingly and willfully discloses the information in any manner to any person or business not entitled to receive it, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
(Added by Ord. 27-06, File No. 051142, App. 2/16/2006)