California 2023-2024 Regular Session Status: Passed Assembly 2 D cosponsors

AB 817 — Open meetings: teleconferencing: subsidiary body.

Last action — In committee: Set, second hearing. Failed passage. Reconsideration granted.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Assembly
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2023-2024 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Assembly” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires, with specified exceptions, each legislative body of a local agency to provide notice of the time and place for its regular meetings and an agenda containing a brief general description of each item of business to be transacted. The act also requires that all meetings of a legislative body be open and public, and that all persons be permitted to attend unless a closed session is authorized. 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. Existing law authorizes the legislative body of a local agency to use alternate teleconferencing provisions during a proclaimed state of emergency (emergency provisions) and, until January 1, 2026, in certain circumstances related to the particular member if at least a quorum of its members participate from a singular physical location that is open to the public and situated within the agency's jurisdiction and other requirements are met (nonemergency provisions) . Existing law imposes different requirements for notice, agenda, and public participation, as prescribed, when a legislative body is using alternate teleconferencing provisions. The nonemergency provisions impose restrictions on remote participation by a member of the legislative body and require the legislative body to provide specific means by which the public may remotely hear and visually observe the meeting. This bill, until January 1, 2026, would authorize a subsidiary body, as defined, to use similar alternative teleconferencing provisions and would impose requirements for notice, agenda, and public participation, as prescribed. The bill would require at least one staff member of the local agency to be present at a designated primary physical meeting location during the meeting. The bill would require the local agency to post the agenda at the primary physical meeting location. 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. In order to use teleconferencing pursuant to this act, the bill would require the legislative body that established 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. 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.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. In committee: Set, second hearing. Failed passage. Reconsideration granted.

  2. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

  3. In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  4. Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and JUD.

  5. In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  6. Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 54. Noes 8. Page 3930.)

  7. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

  9. From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (January 10).

  10. In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  11. Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

  12. From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on L. GOV. Read second time and amended.

  13. Referred to Com. on L. GOV.

  14. From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.

  15. Read first time. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 120 not signed on · 9 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (120)

120 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 120 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]

Failed 0 Yea · 4 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 0102
Republican 0200
Unaffiliated 0101
Total 0403
% of votes cast 0%57%0%43%
How each member voted (7)
Member Party Vote
Glazer — Nay
Skinner — Not Voting
Durazo, Maria Elena Democratic Nay
Wahab, Aisha Democratic Not Voting
Wiener, Scott D. Democratic Not Voting
Dahle, Megan Republican Nay
Seyarto, Kelly Republican Nay

Official roll call →

AB 817 Pacheco Assembly Third Reading

Passed 54 Yea · 8 Nay · 18 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 41006
Unaffiliated 10307
Republican 3505
Total 548018
% of votes cast 68%10%0%23%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Maienschein — Yea
Rodriguez — Yea
Ting — Yea
Jones-Sawyer — Yea
McCarty — Yea
Wood — Yea
Low — Yea
Waldron — Yea
Santiago — Yea
Essayli — Nay
Mathis — Nay
Holden — Not Voting
Friedman — Not Voting
Rendon — Not Voting
Villapudua — Not Voting
Eduardo Garcia — Yea
Jim Patterson — Not Voting
Luz Rivas — Not Voting
Vince Fong — Nay
Wendy Carrillo — Not Voting
Addis, Dawn Democratic Not Voting
Aguiar-Curry, Cecilia M. Democratic Not Voting
Alvarez, David Democratic Yea
Arambula, Joaquin Democratic Yea
Bains, Jasmeet Democratic Yea
Bauer-Kahan, Rebecca Democratic Yea
Bennett, Steve Democratic Not Voting
Berman, Marc Democratic Yea
Boerner, Tasha Democratic Yea
Bonta, Mia Democratic Not Voting
Bryan, Isaac G. Democratic Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Carrillo, Juan Democratic Yea
Cervantes, Sabrina Democratic Yea
Connolly, Damon Democratic Yea
Fong, Mike Democratic Yea
Gabriel, Jesse Democratic Yea
Gipson, Mike A. Democratic Yea
Grayson, Timothy S. Democratic Yea
Haney, Matt Democratic Yea
Hart, Gregg Democratic Yea
Irwin, Jacqui Democratic Yea
Jackson, Corey A. Democratic Yea
Kalra, Ash Democratic Yea
Lee, Alex Democratic Yea
Lowenthal, Josh Democratic Yea
McKinnor, Tina Democratic Yea
Muratsuchi, Al Democratic Yea
Nguyen, Stephanie Democratic Yea
Ortega, Liz Democratic Yea
Pacheco, Blanca Democratic Yea
Papan, Diane Democratic Yea
Pellerin, Gail Democratic Yea
Petrie-Norris, Cottie Democratic Yea
Quirk-Silva, Sharon Democratic Not Voting
Ramos, James C. Democratic Yea
Reyes, Eloise Gómez Democratic Yea
Rivas, Robert Democratic Yea
Rubio, Blanca E. Democratic Yea
Schiavo, Pilar Democratic Yea
Soria, Esmeralda Democratic Yea
Valencia, Avelino Democratic Yea
Ward, Christopher M. Democratic Not Voting
Weber Pierson, M.D., Akilah Democratic Yea
Wicks, Buffy Democratic Yea
Wilson, Lori D. Democratic Yea
Zbur, Rick Chavez Democratic Yea
Alanis, Juan Republican Not Voting
Chen, Phillip Republican Yea
Dahle, Megan Republican Not Voting
Davies, Laurie Republican Not Voting
Dixon, Diane Republican Not Voting
Flora, Heath Republican Yea
Gallagher, James Republican Nay
Hoover, Josh Republican Yea
Lackey, Tom Republican Nay
Patterson, Joe Republican Nay
Sanchez, Kate Republican Not Voting
Ta, Tri Republican Nay
Wallis, Greg Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety elections
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Frequently asked questions

What does AB 817 do?
Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires, with specified exceptions, each legislative body of a local agency to provide notice of the time and place for its regular meetings and an agenda containing a brief general description of each item of business to be transacted. The act also requires that all meetings of a legislative body be open and public, and that all persons be permitted to attend unless a closed session is authorized. 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. Existing law authorizes the legislative body of a local agency to use alternate teleconferencing provisions during a proclaimed state of emergency (emergency provisions) and, until January 1, 2026, in certain circumstances related to the particular member if at least a quorum of its members participate from a singular physical location that is open to the public and situated within the agency's jurisdiction and other requirements are met (nonemergency provisions) . Existing law imposes different requirements for notice, agenda, and public participation, as prescribed, when a legislative body is using alternate teleconferencing provisions. The nonemergency provisions impose restrictions on remote participation by a member of the legislative body and require the legislative body to provide specific means by which the public may remotely hear and visually observe the meeting. This bill, until January 1, 2026, would authorize a subsidiary body, as defined, to use similar alternative teleconferencing provisions and would impose requirements for notice, agenda, and public participation, as prescribed. The bill would require at least one staff member of the local agency to be present at a designated primary physical meeting location during the meeting. The bill would require the local agency to post the agenda at the primary physical meeting location. 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. In order to use teleconferencing pursuant to this act, the bill would require the legislative body that established 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. 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.
Who sponsors AB 817?
AB 817 is sponsored by Wilson, Lori D. (Democratic) and Pacheco, Blanca (Democratic).
What is the current status of AB 817?
This bill died with 2023-2024 Regular Session. It reached “Passed Assembly” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track AB 817?
Track AB 817 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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