BILL NUMBER: AB 435 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 28, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 18, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Chang
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Gallagher
and Olsen Gallagher,
Olsen, and Steinorth )
(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 onsite public meetings and workshops
, 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
or workshop . The bill would require the agencies to
archive the recording of a Web cast make the
recording of a Web cast available online for no less than 3 years
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 electronic
communication commensurate with those persons attending the
meeting or workshop. meeting. The agency shall
archive the recording of a Web cast make the
recording of a Web cast available online for no less than three years
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.
(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.
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 electronic communication commensurate with those persons attending
the meeting or workshop. meeting. The
agency shall archive the recording of a Web cast
make the recording of a Web cast available online for no less
than three years 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.
(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.