RCRC, along with a coalition of government partners, supports Assembly Bill 1944, authored by Assembly Member Alex Lee (D-San Jose) This measure seeks to authorize members of local legislative bodies to teleconference from a remote location without making the address of that location public. The bill would also require that – for those local agencies that elect to use teleconferencing for its legislative body meetings – a video stream is made available to members of the public, including an opportunity to provide public comment via telephone or videoconference.
AB 1944 represents an important modernization to the Brown Act, improving access for members of the public via a teleconferencing or videoconferencing option, while protecting the location of local elected officials participating from a non-public, remote location.
Local agencies subject to the Brown Act were able to utilize remote participation during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Agencies learned during the pandemic that such participation is effective, transparent, and encourages participation from a broader component of the public than was anticipated. At the same time, local elected officials were able to participate remotely without risking their own well-being or that of their families and neighbors.
AB 1944 will be heard on the Assembly Floor next week. RCRC encourages Board members to contact their local Assembly Member to express support for this measure. RCRC’s letter of support can be found here. For more information, contact RCRC Policy Advocate, Sarah Dukett.