Bill Text: CA SB931 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Local government meetings: agenda and documents.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-04-02 - From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on GOV. & F. [SB931 Detail]
Download: California-2019-SB931-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Senate
April 02, 2020 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 931
| Introduced by Senator Wieckowski |
February 05, 2020 |
An act to amend Section 54954.1 of the Government Code, relating to local government.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 931, as amended, Wieckowski.
Local government meetings: agenda and documents.
Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires meetings of the legislative body of a local agency to be open and public and also requires regular and special meetings of the legislative body to be held within the boundaries of the territory over which the local agency exercises jurisdiction, with specified exceptions. Existing law authorizes a person to request that a copy of an agenda, or a copy of all the documents constituting the agenda packet, of any meeting of a legislative body be mailed to that person.
This bill would require require, if the local agency has an internet website, a legislative body
or its designee to email a copy of of, or website link to, the agenda or a copy of all the documents constituting the agenda packet if so requested. the person requests that the items be delivered by email. The bill would require, where the local agency determines it is technologically infeasible to send a copy of all documents constituting the agenda packet or a website link containing the documents by electronic mail or by other electronic means, the legislative body or its designee to send by electronic mail a copy of the agenda or a website link to the agenda and mail a copy of all other documents constituting the
agenda packet in accordance with the mailing requirements. By requiring local agencies to comply with these provisions, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires local agencies, for the purpose of ensuring public access to the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, to comply with a statutory enactment that amends or enacts laws relating to public records or open meetings and contains findings demonstrating that the enactment furthers the constitutional requirements relating to this purpose.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for
making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 54954.1 of the Government Code is amended to read:54954.1.
Any person may request that a copy of the agenda, or a copy of all the documents constituting the agenda packet, of any meeting of a legislative body be mailed to that person.SEC. 2.
The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of this act, which amends Section 54954.1 of the Government Code, furthers, within the meaning of paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution, the purposes of that constitutional section as it relates to the right of public access to the meetings of local public bodies or the writings of local public officials and local agencies. Pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution, the Legislature makes the following findings:By providing the public the right to receive local legislative body meeting agenda and
documents constituting the agenda packet by email, this bill promotes greater public access to the writings of local public officials and local agencies in an economic and efficient manner.
