CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 29

Introduced by Assembly Member Cooper
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Blanca Rubio)

December 07, 2020

An act to amend Section 11125 of the Government Code, relating to public meetings.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 29, as introduced, Cooper. State bodies: meetings.
Existing law, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, requires that all meetings of a state body, as defined, be open and public, and that all persons be permitted to attend any meeting of a state body, except as otherwise provided in that act. Existing law requires the state body to provide notice of its meeting, including specified information and a specific agenda of the meeting, as provided, to any person who requests that notice in writing and to make that notice available on the internet at least 10 days in advance of the meeting.
This bill would require that notice to include all writings or materials provided for the noticed meeting to a member of the state body by the staff of a state agency, board, or commission, or another member of the state body that are in connection with a matter subject to discussion or consideration at the meeting. The bill would require those writings or materials to be made available on the state body’s internet website, and to any person who requests the writings or materials in writing, on the same day as the dissemination of the writings and materials to members of the state body or at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting, whichever is earlier. The bill would prohibit a state body from discussing those writings or materials, or from taking action on an item to which those writings or materials pertain, at a meeting of the state body unless the state body has complied with these provisions.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 11125 of the Government Code is amended to read:

11125.
 (a) The state body shall provide notice of its meeting to any person who requests that notice in writing. Notice shall be given and also made available on the Internet state body’s internet website at least 10 days in advance of the meeting, meeting and shall include the name, address, and telephone number of any person who can provide further information prior to before the meeting, meeting but need not include a list of witnesses expected to appear at the meeting. The written notice shall additionally include the address of the Internet site internet website where notices required by this article are made available.
(b) The notice of a meeting of a body that is a state body shall include a specific agenda for the meeting, containing a brief description of the items of business to be transacted or discussed in either open or closed session. A brief general description of an item generally need not exceed 20 words. A description of an item to be transacted or discussed in closed session shall include a citation of the specific statutory authority under which a closed session is being held. No item shall be added to the agenda subsequent to the provision of this notice, unless otherwise permitted by this article.
(c) (1) A notice provided pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include all writings or materials provided for the noticed meeting to a member of the state body by the staff of a state agency, board, or commission, or another member of the state body that are in connection with a matter subject to discussion or consideration at the meeting.
(2) The writings or materials described in paragraph (1) shall be made available on the state body’s internet website, and to any person who requests the writings or materials in writing, on the same day as the dissemination of the writings and materials to members of the state body or at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting, whichever is earlier.
(3) A state body may not distribute or discuss writings or materials described in paragraph (1), or take action on an item to which those writings or materials pertain, at a meeting of the state body unless the state body has complied with this subdivision.

(c)

(d) Notice of a meeting of a state body that complies with this section shall also constitute notice of a meeting of an advisory body of that state body, provided that the business to be discussed by the advisory body is covered by the notice of the meeting of the state body, provided that the specific time and place of the advisory body’s meeting is announced during the open and public state body’s meeting, and provided that the advisory body’s meeting is conducted within a reasonable time of, and nearby, the meeting of the state body.

(d)

(e) A person may request, and shall be provided, notice pursuant to subdivision (a) for all meetings of a state body or for a specific meeting or meetings. In addition, at the state body’s discretion, a person may request, and may be provided, notice of only those meetings of a state body at which a particular subject or subjects specified in the request will be discussed.

(e)

(f) A request for notice of more than one meeting of a state body shall be subject to the provisions of Section 14911.

(f)

(g) The notice shall be made available in appropriate alternative formats, as required by Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Sec. 12132), and the federal rules and regulations adopted in implementation thereof, upon request by any person with a disability. The notice shall include information regarding how, to whom, and by when a request for any disability-related modification or accommodation, including auxiliary aids or services may be made by a person with a disability who requires these aids or services in order to participate in the public meeting.