AB 1341, as introduced, Morrell. Public meetings.
Under the Ralph M. Brown Act, all meetings of a legislative body of a local agency, as defined, are required to be open and public. The act requires each legislative body of a local agency, with exceptions, to provide, by ordinance or other specified action, the time and place for holding regular meetings.
This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 54954 of the Government Code is
2amended to read:
(a) Each legislative body of a local agency, except for
4advisory committees or standing committees, shall provide, by
5ordinance, resolution, bylaws, or by whatever other rule is required
6for the conduct of business by that body, the time and place for
7holding regular meetings. Meetings of advisory committees or
8standing committees, for which an agenda is posted at least 72
P2 1hours in advance of the meeting pursuant to subdivision (a) of
2Section 54954.2, shall be considered for purposes of this chapter
3as regular meetings of the legislative body.
4(b) Regular and special meetings of the legislative body shall
5be held within the boundaries of the territory over which the local
6agency exercises jurisdiction, except to do any of the
following:
7(1) Comply with state or federal law or court order, or attend a
8judicial or administrative proceeding to which the local agency is
9a party.
10(2) Inspect real or personal propertybegin delete whichend deletebegin insert thatend insert cannot be
11conveniently brought within the boundaries of the territory over
12which the local agency exercises jurisdiction provided that the
13topic of the meeting is limited to items directly related to the real
14or personal property.
15(3) Participate in meetings or discussions of multiagency
16significance that are outside the boundaries of a local agency’s
17jurisdiction. However, any meeting or discussion held pursuant to
18this
subdivision shall take place within the jurisdiction of one of
19the participating local agencies and be noticed by all participating
20agencies as provided for in this chapter.
21(4) Meet in the closest meeting facility if the local agency has
22no meeting facility within the boundaries of the territory over
23which the local agency exercises jurisdiction, or at the principal
24office of the local agency if that office is located outside the
25territory over which the agency exercises jurisdiction.
26(5) Meet outside their immediate jurisdiction with elected or
27appointed officials of the United States or the State of California
28when a local meeting would be impractical, solely to discuss a
29legislative or regulatory issue affecting the local agency and over
30which the federal or state officials have jurisdiction.
31(6) Meet outside
their immediate jurisdiction if the meeting
32takes place in or nearby a facility owned by the agency, provided
33that the topic of the meeting is limited to items directly related to
34the facility.
35(7) Visit the office of the local agency’s legal counsel for a
36closed session on pending litigation held pursuant to Section
3754956.9, when to do so would reduce legal fees or costs.
38(c) Meetings of the governing board of a school district shall
39be held within the district, except under the circumstances
40enumerated in subdivision (b), or to do any of the following:
P3 1(1) Attend a conference on nonadversarial collective bargaining
2techniques.
3(2) Interview members of the public residing in another district
4with reference to the trustees’ potential employment of an
applicant
5for the position of the superintendent of the district.
6(3) Interview a potential employee from another district.
7(d) Meetings of a joint powers authority shall occur within the
8territory of at least one of its member agencies, or as provided in
9subdivision (b). However, a joint powers authoritybegin delete whichend deletebegin insert thatend insert
has
10members throughout the state may meet at any facility in the state
11begin delete whichend deletebegin insert thatend insert complies with the requirements of Section 54961.
12(e) If, by reason of fire, flood, earthquake, or other emergency,
13it shall be unsafe to meet in the place designated, the meetings
14shall be held for the duration of the emergency at the place
15designated by the presiding officer of the legislative body or his
16or her designee in a notice to the local media that have requested
17notice pursuant to Section 54956, by the most rapid means of
18communication available at the time.
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