Amended in Assembly May 28, 2015

Amended in Assembly March 18, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 435

Introduced by Assembly Member Chang

(Coauthors: Assembly Members begin delete Gallagher and Olsen end delete begin insert Gallagher, Olsen, and Steinorth end insert )

(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 begin insert onsite end insert public meetings begin delete and workshops end delete , in a manner that enables listeners and viewers to ask questions and provide public comment by telephone or electronic communication commensurate with those attending the meeting begin delete or workshop end delete . The bill would require the agencies to begin delete archive the recording of a Web cast end delete begin insert make the recording of a Web cast available online for no less than 3 years end insert for subsequent begin delete reasonable end delete 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 begin delete and
workshops end delete in a manner that enables listeners and viewers to ask
questions and provide public comment by telephone or electronic
communication commensurate with those persons attending the
begin delete meeting or workshop. end delete begin insert meeting. end insert The agency shall begin delete archive the
recording of a Web cast end delete begin insert make the recording of a Web cast available
online for no less than three years end insert for subsequent begin delete reasonable end delete
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 begin delete or
workshops end delete of a conservancy or the California Science Center.

begin insert

(d) The requirements of subdivision (b) do not apply to public
meetings held at nonagency sites. This subdivision does not limit
the authority of the agency to Web cast meetings of any department,
board, or commission held at a nonagency site.

end insert

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 begin delete and workshops end delete in a manner that enables listeners and
viewers to ask questions and provide public comment by telephone
or electronic communication commensurate with those persons
attending the begin delete meeting or workshop. end delete begin insert meeting. end insert The agency shall
begin delete archive the recording of a Web cast end delete begin insert make the recording of a Web
cast available online for no less than three years end insert for subsequent
begin delete reasonable end delete viewing by interested members of the public.

(c) The deputy secretary for external affairs shall be responsible
for implementation of this section.

begin insert

(d) The requirements of subdivision (b) do not apply to public
meetings held at nonagency sites. This subdivision does not limit
the authority of the agency to Web cast meetings of any department,
board, or commission held at a nonagency site.

end insert