Brown Act Revamp Resources (SB 707)

Having previously opposed the legislation, CSDA worked extensively to secure changes to the text of SB 707. After successfully securing amendments that significantly reduced the burdens associated with the bill, CSDA was able to move to "neutral" on the bill, while continuing to engage with the author's office.

SB 707's signing means that the sunset extension originally included in Assembly Bill 259 (Rubio), a bill sponsored by CSDA and the Three Valleys Municipal Water District, will instead be effectuated by the provisions of SB 707; agencies that relied on the provisions of the Brown Act added by Assembly Bill 2449 (Rubio, 2022) will continue to be able to use those provisions as a result of the passage of SB 707.

In addition to a range of provisions that apply to all special districts, SB 707 establishes criteria for “eligible legislative bodies” that must meet a myriad of additional new Brown Act provisions.

A special district that is an “eligible legislative body” is one that has an internet website and meets any of the following conditions:

• The boundaries of the special district include the entirety of a county with a population of 600,000 or more, AND the special district has over 200 full-time equivalent employees.
• The special district has over 1,000 full-time equivalent employees.
• The special district has annual revenues, based on the most recent Financial Transaction Report data published by the California State Controller, that exceed four hundred million dollars ($400,000,000), adjusted annually for inflation commencing January 1, 2027, as measured by the percentage change in the California Consumer Price Index from January 1 of the prior year to January 1 of the current year, AND the special district employs over 200 full-time equivalent employees.