Following author’s amendments to legislation making wide-ranging updates to the Ralph M. Brown Act, CSDA’s Legislative Committee voted unanimously last Friday to change the association’s formal position on Senate Bill 707 (Durazo) from “Oppose Unless Amended."
CSDA had opposed SB 707 as introduced, given the original version of the bill created resource concerns for special districts and restricted flexibility the association had previously negotiated for emergency remote meetings under the Brown Act. However, SB 707 author and Senate Local Government Committee Chair Elena Durazo and her staff worked collaboratively and thoughtfully to address these concerns with amendments on April 7.
Agenda Translation Requirements
SB 707 would require a legislative body of a local agency to translate its meeting agendas into other languages spoken jointly by 20 percent or more of the population in the county in which the local agency is located that speaks English less than “very well” and jointly speaks a language other than English, according to data from the most recent American Community Survey or data from an equally reliable source.
As currently drafted, two counties would likely meet the demographic conditions outlined in the legislation: Monterey and Tulare. After seeking feedback from CSDA members in these counties, CSDA reached out to the author’s office to ensure all local agencies could meet the goals of the measure in a reasonable and workable manner, while fulfilling their core mission.
CSDA requested amendments to address resource concerns for local agencies that would be tasked with translating public meeting agendas into languages other than English. As amended, SB 707 permits legislative bodies to use a digital translation service to translate its agenda. Additionally, amendments provided a hardship exemption process for local agencies that determine the cost of the translation requirements added by the bill would exceed district resources.
Emergency Remote Meeting Flexibility
As introduced, SB 707 required local agencies holding emergency remote meetings to use either a) two-way audiovisual broadcasts of the meeting or b) a live webcast accompanying a telephonic service used to conduct the meeting. This language would have reversed emergency remote meeting flexibility CSDA had secured during negotiations associated with Assembly Bill 361 (Rivas, 2021), one of CSDA’s earlier sponsored bills on the Brown Act. As amended, SB 707 restores emergency remote meeting flexibility for legislative bodies and permits the use of a two-way telephonic service without a live webcasting of the meeting.
Call to Action Continues as Co-Sponsored AB 259 Ready for Assembly Floor Vote
CSDA’s co-sponsored bill this year on the Brown Act, together with Three Valleys Municipal Water District, Assembly Bill 259 (Rubio) has advanced off the Assembly floor. As the measure must still make its way through the State Senate, there’s still time for agencies to become involved in the effort to secure its passage.
AB 259 extends the sunset on remote meeting procedures added by Assembly Bill 2449 (Rubio, 2022) to January 1, 2030. Agencies interested in getting involved should visit CSDA's Take Action page entry on AB 259 to review background on the proposal, download an AB 259 fact sheet, access a sample letter of support, or authorize an automated form letter to be submitted expressing your agency’s support for AB 259. To date, the Legislature has recorded the support of over 180 entities in support of AB 259.
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