All Roll Calls
Yes: 135 • No: 34
CaliforniaSB 7072025-2026 Regular SessionSenate
Open meetings: meeting and teleconference requirements.
Sponsored By: Maria Elena Durazo (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
11 provisions identified: 9 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Emergency meeting and teleconference rules
When an emergency exists, a body can meet without the usual 24‑hour notice. It must call or email media that asked for notice one hour before (or at/near the time for a dire emergency), or as soon as possible afterward if phones or internet are down. After the meeting, post the minutes, who was notified, the rollcall vote, and actions for at least 10 days. During a declared state or local emergency, a body may teleconference if in‑person attendance is unsafe; to keep meeting remotely, it must make majority findings within 45 days and every 45 days after that through January 1, 2030.
Online agendas, translations, and access
The law requires local bodies to post regular-meeting agendas at least 72 hours early, with short item descriptions and ADA notice. If the agency has a website, agendas appear by a home‑page link in an open, searchable, free format. Covered cities, counties, and some special districts must keep a public meetings webpage and accept agenda requests by email or an agenda platform. Beginning July 1, 2026 through January 1, 2030, those covered bodies must translate each agenda and the meetings webpage into applicable languages and post the translations. Digital tools count, and up to three languages are required when several meet the 20% thresholds. Bodies must also help people who want to use an interpreter and publish how to ask. Special meetings need at least 24 hours’ written notice, with posting online when the agency has a website.
Public votes and pay decision rules
The law bans secret ballots. Every action must show how each member voted. A legislative body cannot call a special meeting just to discuss its own pay or a local agency executive’s pay. Special meetings about the agency budget are still allowed. Before a closed session on employee pay, the body must name its representatives in public. Closed sessions can only review and instruct those representatives and cannot take final action on pay for unrepresented employees.
Remote access rules for meetings
Local bodies may hold meetings by teleconference. From July 1, 2026 to January 1, 2030, when they do, they must give the public at least one way to join and speak: two‑way video, or two‑way phone with a live webcast. They must post how to join on the agenda, offer a call‑in option when using video, and turn on automatic captions if the platform has them. Remote commenters get the same time as in‑person speakers, and you can speak live without sending comments in advance; timed comment periods stay open for the full time. If a broadcast or call‑in fails, the body must stop acting on items; covered bodies must adopt a disruption policy by July 1, 2026 and take at least a one‑hour recess while trying to restore service; presiding officers may remove disruptive remote participants; all votes are by rollcall. Agendas must list each teleconference location, which must be open to the public; a quorum must join from within the agency’s territory; watching a webcast alone is not a teleconference; local agencies provide meeting‑site lists; teleconference authorities are cumulative.
2020 teleconference rule repealed
The law repeals the 2020 teleconference section of the open-meeting law. Those specific rules no longer apply.
Local bodies can expand public access
Local legislative bodies may adopt access rules that go beyond state minimums. An elected body can require those stronger rules for its appointed boards and commissions. These stronger access rules are optional.
Recording rights and pay vote transparency
Anyone can record open meetings unless the body finds the recording is persistently disruptive. Recordings made by the agency are public records and may be erased or destroyed after 30 days. Agencies must let the public inspect recordings for free on agency equipment. Before voting on pay or fringe benefits for a local executive or department head, the body must give an oral summary of the recommendation at the open meeting.
Rules to handle meeting disruptions
If a meeting is willfully interrupted and order cannot be restored by removing disruptors, the body can clear the room and continue only with agenda items. Reporters who did not take part must be allowed to stay. The presiding officer may remove a disruptive person after a warning at in-person or teleconference meetings. No warning is required for force or a true threat of force.
Social media and staff contact rules
A majority cannot use serial messages to discuss or decide agency business outside a public meeting. Members can use public social media to share information and get input, but a majority cannot discuss business among themselves there, and members should not reply in ways that become a group discussion. The law defines what counts as discussing among themselves and what an open social media platform is. Staff may talk with members one‑on‑one to answer questions if they do not pass along other members’ views. Local agencies must give this open‑meetings chapter to every newly elected or appointed member.
Teleconference rules for subsidiary and regional boards
Eligible subsidiary bodies may teleconference if they name one public meeting site inside the parent’s area, keep a staff member there, and members appear on camera. The parent body must approve and renew findings every six months that it expands access and diversity. These rules end January 1, 2030. Eligible multijurisdictional boards may teleconference if a quorum is at public sites inside the territory, remote members are listed on the agenda and use audio/video, and a remote site is over 20 miles from any meeting site; yearly limits apply, and this also ends January 1, 2030. Neighborhood councils in cities over 3,000,000 and community college student organizations may teleconference only after the city or district considers a resolution and the group votes to use it; quorum and public‑location rules apply, and these provisions end January 1, 2030.
When board members join remotely
A member may attend remotely for “just cause” such as childcare, illness, official travel, or certain military duty, when a quorum meets in person at one public place. Use audio and video, state the reason at the start, and the clerk must note the legal basis in the minutes. Use is capped each year: up to 2 meetings for monthly bodies, 5 for twice‑monthly, or 7 for bodies that meet three or more times per month. This just‑cause option ends January 1, 2030. A member with a disability may attend remotely as a reasonable accommodation, may use audio‑only if the condition prevents video, and must say if other adults are present at the remote site and their general relationship.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Maria Elena Durazo
Democratic • Senate
Cosponsors
Joaquin Arambula
Democratic • House
Jesse ArreguÃn
Democratic • Senate
Blanca Blanca Rubio
Democratic • House
Mike Fong
Democratic • House
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 9/13/2025
Item 164 — Senate SFLOOR
Yes: 27 • No: 6
House vote • 9/13/2025
Item 61 — Assembly AFLOOR
Yes: 53 • No: 16
legislature vote • 8/29/2025
Vote in CX25
Yes: 11 • No: 4
legislature vote • 7/16/2025
Vote in CX15
Yes: 6 • No: 2
Senate vote • 6/3/2025
Item 135 — Senate SFLOOR
Yes: 24 • No: 6
legislature vote • 4/22/2025
Vote in CS53
Yes: 9 • No: 0
legislature vote • 4/2/2025
Vote in CS82
Yes: 5 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 327, Statutes of 2025.
10/3/2025SenateApproved by the Governor.
10/3/2025legislatureEnrolled and presented to the Governor at 2 p.m.
9/23/2025legislatureAssembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 27. Noes 6. Page 3058.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
9/13/2025SenateIn Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
9/13/2025SenateRead third time. Passed. (Ayes 53. Noes 16. Page 3445.) Ordered to the Senate.
9/13/2025HouseJoint Rule 61(a)(14) and 51(a)(4) suspended. (Ayes 59. Noes 20. Page 3413.)
9/13/2025HouseOrdered to third reading.
9/5/2025HouseRead third time and amended.
9/5/2025HouseAssembly Rule 69(b)(1) suspended.
9/5/2025HouseRead second time. Ordered to third reading.
9/3/2025HouseRead second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
9/2/2025HouseFrom committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 4.) (August 29).
8/29/2025HouseAugust 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
8/20/2025HouseFrom committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 2.) (July 16).
7/17/2025HouseAssembly Rule 63 suspended. (Ayes 49. Noes 15. Page 2578.)
7/17/2025HouseRead second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
7/17/2025HouseFrom committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.
7/8/2025HouseReferred to Com. on L. GOV.
6/9/2025HouseIn Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.
6/4/2025HouseRead third time. Passed. (Ayes 24. Noes 6. Page 1438.) Ordered to the Assembly.
6/3/2025SenateRead second time. Ordered to third reading.
6/2/2025SenateOrdered to second reading.
5/29/2025SenateRead third time and amended.
5/29/2025SenateRead second time. Ordered to third reading.
5/6/2025Senate
Bill Text
Chaptered
10/3/2025
Enrolled
9/18/2025
Amended Assembly
9/5/2025
Amended Assembly
9/2/2025
Amended Assembly
7/17/2025
Amended Assembly
7/8/2025
Amended Senate
5/29/2025
Amended Senate
4/7/2025
Introduced
2/21/2025