SB 707: Open meetings: meeting and teleconference requirements.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a legislative body, as defined, of a local agency be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend and participate.

This bill would, beginning July 1, 2026, and until January 1, 2030, require an eligible legislative body, as defined, to comply with additional meeting requirements, including that, except as specified, all open and public meetings include an opportunity for members of the public to attend via a 2-way telephonic service or a 2-way audiovisual platform, as defined, and that the eligible legislative body take specified actions to encourage residents to participate in public meetings, as specified. The bill would require an eligible legislative body, on or before July 1, 2026, to approve at a noticed public meeting in open session a policy regarding disruption of telephonic or internet services occurring during meetings subject to these provisions, as specified, and would require the eligible legislative body to comply with certain requirements relating to disruption, including for certain disruptions, recessing the open session for at least one hour and making a good faith attempt to restore the service, as specified.

(2)Existing law prohibits a majority of the members of a legislative body, outside a meeting authorized by the act, from using a series of communications of any kind to discuss, deliberate, or take action on any item of business that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body. Existing law defines “meetings” for these purposes to mean any congregation of a majority of the members of a legislative body at the same time and location, as specified, to hear, discuss, deliberate, or take action on any item that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body. Until January 1, 2026, existing law excepts from the prohibition a member engaging in separate conversations or communications outside of a meeting with any other person using an internet-based social media platform for specified purposes, provided, among other things, that a majority of the members do not use the internet-based social media platform to discuss among themselves business of a specific nature that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body.

This bill would make the above-described exception related to communications on an internet-based social media platform applicable indefinitely.

(3)Existing law requires a legislative body, prior to taking final action, to orally report a summary of a recommendation for a final action on specified forms of compensation for a local agency executive, as defined, during the open meeting in which the final action is to be taken.

This bill would also require the legislative body to make that oral report, as provided above, prior to taking final action on those specified forms of compensation for a department head or other similar administrative officer of the local agency.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 5

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. October 3, 2025Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 327, Statutes of 2025.
2. October 3, 2025Approved by the Governor.
3. September 23, 2025Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
4. September 13, 2025Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 27. Noes 6. Page 3058.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
5. September 13, 2025In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
6. September 13, 2025Joint Rule 61(a)(14) and 51(a)(4) suspended. (Ayes 59. Noes 20. Page 3413.)
7. September 13, 2025Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 53. Noes 16. Page 3445.) Ordered to the Senate.
8. September 5, 2025Ordered to third reading.
9. September 5, 2025Read third time and amended.
10. September 5, 2025Assembly Rule 69(b)(1) suspended.
11. September 3, 2025Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
12. September 2, 2025Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.