BILL NUMBER: AB 435 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 18, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Chang
( Coauthors: Assembly Members
Gallagher and Olsen )
( Coauthor: Senator Anderson
)
FEBRUARY 19, 2015
An act to add Sections 12805.4 and 12812.4 to the Government Code,
relating to state government.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 435, as amended, Chang. California Environmental Protection
Agency: Natural Resources Agency: Web casts of public meetings and
workshops.
Existing law establishes the California Environmental Protection
Agency and the Natural Resources Agency as agencies in the state
government. Existing law, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act,
generally requires that all meetings of a state body be open and
public.
This bill would require that each department, board, and
commission of the Natural Resources Agency and each department,
board, and office of the California Environmental Protection Agency
Web cast all public meetings and workshops, in a manner that enables
listeners and viewers to ask questions and provide public comment by
telephone or email electronic communication
commensurate with those attending the meeting or workshop. The
bill would require the agencies to archive the recording of a Web
cast for subsequent reasonable viewing by interested members of the
public.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 12805.4 is added to the Government Code, to
read:
12805.4. (a) For purposes of this section, "Web cast" means a
media presentation distributed over the Internet using live streaming
media technology to distribute content to listeners and viewers.
(b) Each department, board, and commission of the Natural
Resources Agency shall Web cast all public meetings and workshops in
a manner that enables listeners and viewers to ask questions and
provide public comment by telephone or email
electronic communication commensurate with those persons
attending the meeting or workshop. The agency shall archive the
recording of a Web cast for subsequent reasonable viewing by
interested members of the public.
(c) The requirements of subdivision (b) do not apply to a
conservancy or the California Science Center. This subdivision does
not limit the authority of the agency to Web cast meetings or
workshops of a conservancy or the California Science Center.
SEC. 2. Section 12812.4 is added to the Government Code, to read:
12812.4. (a) For purposes of this section, "Web cast" means a
media presentation distributed over the Internet using live streaming
media technology to distribute content to listeners and viewers.
(b) Each department, board, and office of the California
Environmental Protection Agency shall Web cast all public meetings
and workshops in a manner that enables listeners and viewers to ask
questions and provide public comment by telephone or email
electronic communication commensurate with those
persons attending the meeting or workshop. The agency shall archive
the recording of a Web cast for subsequent reasonable viewing by
interested members of the public.
(c) The deputy secretary for external affairs shall be responsible
for implementation of this section.