California Senate Bill 239
Session 20252026
Open meetings: teleconferencing: subsidiary body.
Active
Passed Senate on Jan 27, 2026
Origin Chamber
Senate
Type
Bill
Bill Number
239
State
California
Session
20252026
Motion Text
3rd Reading
Senate Roll Call Votes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Summary
Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a legislative body, as defined, of a local agency be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend and participate. The act generally requires for teleconferencing that the legislative body of a local agency that elects to use teleconferencing post agendas at all teleconference locations, identify each teleconference location in the notice and agenda of the meeting or proceeding, and have each teleconference location be accessible to the public. Existing law also requires that, during the teleconference, at least a quorum of the members of the legislative body participate from locations within the boundaries of the territory over which the local agency exercises jurisdiction, except as specified.
Existing law, until January 1, 2026, authorizes specified neighborhood city councils to use alternate teleconferencing provisions related to notice, agenda, and public participation, as prescribed, if, among other requirements, the city council has adopted an authorizing resolution and 23 of the neighborhood city council votes to use alternate teleconference provisions, as specified.
This bill would authorize a subsidiary body, as defined, to use alternative teleconferencing provisions and would impose requirements for notice, agenda, and public participation, as prescribed. The bill would require the subsidiary body to post the agenda at each physical meeting location designated by the subsidiary body, as specified. The bill would require the members of the subsidiary body to visibly appear on camera during the open portion of a meeting that is publicly accessible via the internet or other online platform, as specified. The bill would also require the subsidiary body to list a member of the subsidiary body who participates in a teleconference meeting from a remote location in the minutes of the meeting.
The bill would require the legislative body that established the subsidiary body electing to use teleconferencing pursuant to these provisions to establish the subsidiary body by charter, ordinance, resolution, or other formal action to make specified findings by majority vote, before the subsidiary body uses teleconferencing for the first time and every 12 months thereafter. The bill would require the subsidiary body to approve the use of teleconference by 23 vote before using teleconference pursuant to these provisions.
The bill would exempt from these alternative teleconferencing provisions a subsidiary body that has subject matter jurisdiction over police oversight, elections, or budgets. The bill would require any member of a subsidiary body who is an elected official to comply with specified agenda and quorum requirements to participate in a meeting through teleconferencing pursuant to this section, and would require any final recommendations adopted by a subsidiary body to be presented at a regular meeting of the legislative body that established the subsidiary body. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2030, and thereby remove the authorization for subsidiary bodies to use the alternative teleconferencing provisions as described above.
Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
The California Constitution requires local agencies, for the purpose of ensuring public access to the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, to comply with a statutory enactment that amends or enacts laws relating to public records or open meetings and contains findings demonstrating that the enactment furthers the constitutional requirements relating to this purpose.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
01/30/25 - Introduced
January 30, 2025
04/07/25 - Amended Senate
April 7, 2025
03/28/25- Senate Local Government
March 28, 2025
05/02/25- Senate Judiciary
May 2, 2025
05/09/25- Sen. Floor Analyses
May 9, 2025
Sort by most recent
01/27/2026
Assembly
In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
01/27/2026
Senate
Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 11.) Ordered to the Assembly.
01/26/2026
Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
01/22/2026
Senate
Ordered to second reading.
01/22/2026
Senate
From inactive file on motion of Senator Arreguín.
06/03/2025
Senate
Ordered to inactive file on request of Senator Arreguín.
05/08/2025
Senate
Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
05/07/2025
Senate
From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 10. Noes 1. Page 1026.) (May 6).
04/08/2025
Senate
Set for hearing May 6.
04/07/2025
Senate
Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
04/03/2025
Senate
From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 636.) (April 2).
03/24/2025
Senate
Set for hearing April 2.
02/14/2025
Senate
Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and JUD.
02/03/2025
Senate
From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 2.
01/30/2025
Senate
Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.
Sources
Record Created
Jan 31, 2025 5:53:38 AM
Record Updated
Jan 28, 2026 8:34:11 AM