BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 2720 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 2720 (Ting) As Amended August 7, 2014 Majority vote ----------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |78-0 |(May 15, 2014) |SENATE: |35-0 |(August 14, | | | | | | |2014) | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: G.O. SUMMARY : Requires a state body to publicly report any action taken and the vote or abstention on that action of each member present for the action. The Senate amendments made technical changes to correct a drafting error. AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill is substantially similar to the version passed by the Senate. FISCAL EFFECT : None. The bill is keyed non-fiscal by Legislative Counsel. COMMENTS : Purpose of the bill: According to the author, current law requires that the meetings of state boards and commissions be open to the public, so that their deliberations and actions are conducted in service of the public's interest. However, there is no specific requirement that actions taken by state boards and commissions during regular meetings are publicly reported and reveal vote or abstention of each member present for the action. Consequently, there are multiple examples of state boards and commissions that do not make this important information readily accessible to the public. Final votes are often reported, for example, as 20 Ayes and 10 Noes, making it impossible to determine how individual members, who represent different industry interests, voted on the action taken. Some votes do not even report the final vote numerically, only reporting whether the action passed or failed. If a member of the public was not able to attend the meeting, then it is impossible for that individual to be wholly informed about the outcome of the action taken. AB 2720 Page 2 This bill would strengthen California's commitment to open and transparent governance by requiring all state boards and commissions to count, identify, and publicly disclose all votes on actions taken during meetings. This bill will ensure that the public has complete information about the decisions made by state bodies, so they are held accountable to the public interest. Arguments in support: The California Taxpayers Association states that all levels of government need to continue to promote a transparent government. Empowering people to engage in government allows them to become stakeholders in the political process. Giving access, in turn, allows people to see how their government is run, and how policymakers' decisions will impact their lives. There is no opposition on file. Analysis Prepared by : Felipe Lopez / G.O. / (916) 319-2531 FN: 0004525