CSAC-sponsored Brown Act Reform Glides through Another Senate Committee  

CSAC-sponsored legislation to modernize the Brown Act is headed to the Senate floor after winning overwhelming support in the Judiciary Committee this week. 

Senate Bill 239 (Arreguín) would provide additional meeting flexibility for advisory bodies subject to its mandates. Specifically, it seeks to help counties and other local governments recruit and retain members of their communities to serve on advisory bodies, improve the representation of diverse communities, and help build the pipeline for future leaders. 

Advisory bodies exist to amplify community voices on a range of issues, from civic matters affecting seniors and accessibility concerns for individuals with disabilities to representation for the LGBT+ community and support of youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness. However, many advisory bodies struggle to convene due to ongoing challenges in establishing a quorum and recruiting and retaining members of the community to serve. In fact, more than 90 percent of counties surveyed report difficulties in meeting quorum requirements, while 88 percent face persistent challenges in maintaining member participation. 

The in-person requirement to participate in local governance bodies presents a disproportionate challenge for those with physical or economic limitations, including seniors, persons with a disability, single parents or caretakers, or those who live in rural areas and face prohibitive driving distances and inclement weather.  

SB 239 would address these problems by allowing members to participate in meetings remotely without posting their home address or making it available to the public. The measure would improve transparency and ease of participation by the public by ensuring that meetings are available both in person and remotely whenever a member participates remotely. The bill would also exempt elected officials from being able to use the added flexibility and categorically exempt advisory bodies with subject matter jurisdiction over police, elections and the budget.  

The support of individual counties will be vital to advancing this legislation. CSAC has drafted a template support letter that counties may use if they wish to support this critical legislation. 

Please reach out to Eric Lawyer (elawyer@counties.org) with any questions or feedback.