Senate Bill 707 (Durazo) represents the most substantial changes to the Brown Act in decades. The bill is an attempt to modernize open meetings by adjusting and extending several recent laws and establishing entirely new provisions. While there are provisions that will require counties, cities, and special districts to take actions that had not been previously required, RCRC and our local government partners believe the bill is in the best shape possible and is well-balanced.
While RCRC, along with the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) and the Urban Counties of California (UCC), began the year with formal concerns about the bill, our organizations have recently shifted to a position of support due to recent amendments. Specifically, this measure will:
- Extend and expand existing flexibility for remote meeting participation.
- Expand emergency meeting rules to be invoked upon a local emergency, not just a state-declared emergency.
- Allow members of multi-jurisdictional bodies to participate remotely if driving distance exceeds 20 miles each way.
- Allow members of most advisory bodies to meet entirely remotely, without any in-person quorum.
Counties continue to have some concerns regarding the new provisions, including translation requirements and remote participation. Recent amendments clarify translation requirements in a way that should significantly reduce the burden on counties to translate agendas. Additionally, amendments secured earlier this year enable the use of lower-cost digital translation tools and establish legal liability protection.
Throughout the year, many other concerning provisions have been substantially amended or removed entirely. RCRC, CSAC, and UCC believe this bill is the best option to secure meaningful progress for how the Brown Act applies to counties.
SB 707 is awaiting action on the Assembly Floor. The final set of amendments is anticipated to cross the Assembly Floor early next week, prior to the Assembly Floor vote. RCRC’s letter of support can be found here.
For additional information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate Sarah Dukett.