11370.5. (a) The office is authorized and directed to study the subject of administrative adjudication in all its aspects; to submit its suggestions to the various agencies in the interests of fairness, uniformity and the expedition of business; and to report its recommendations to the Governor and Legislature. All departments, agencies, officers, and employees of the state shall give the office ready access to their records and full information and reasonable assistance in any matter of research requiring recourse to them or to data within their knowledge or control. Nothing in this section authorizes an agency to provide access to records required by statute to be kept confidential.(b) The office may adopt rules and regulations to carry out the functions and duties of the office under the Administrative Procedure Act. The regulations are subject to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340).(Amended by Stats. 2002, Ch. 370, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2003. Operative July 1, 1997, by Sec. 98 of Ch. 938.)