Agenda & Notice Requirements
Emergency Meetings
1 hour
Online posting:
Required
Post agenda at least 72 hours before regular meetings in a location freely accessible to the public and on the agency's website (if one exists). 24-hour notice for special meetings via written notice to members and media.
Agenda changes at meeting:
Allowed — Two-thirds vote (or unanimous if less than 2/3 present) and determination of need to take immediate action; OR item arose after agenda posting
Public Participation
Time limits: No statutory time limit; agencies may adopt reasonable time limits. Public must be allowed to comment on any agenda item before or during consideration.
Brown Act (Gov. Code § 54954.3) requires each local body to provide an opportunity for public comment before or during deliberation on each agenda item. Bodies may adopt reasonable time limits per speaker or per agenda item. Written comments may be submitted; the body is not required to read them aloud. No preregistration requirement may be imposed as a condition of speaking.
Virtual Meetings
Member Remote Participation
Allowed
Public Remote Comment
Allowed
AB 2449 (2022, extended 2024): members may participate remotely under specified conditions. A quorum must be physically present at the noticed location. Remote member's location need not be noticed if no public access required at that location.
Closed Sessions
Closed (executive) sessions:
Allowed under specific circumstances
Permitted Categories
- Personnel
- Pending Litigation
- Real Property Negotiations
- Labor Negotiations
- License Applicant Examination
- Threat To Public Services Or Facilities
- Joint Powers Agency Insurance Pooling
Meeting Minutes
Publication Deadline
30 days
Online posting:
Required
Content requirements: Must record votes. Closed session actions must be disclosed in open session. Date, time, place, members present, all motions and votes (Gov. Code § 54957.2).
Enforcement
Violation Effect
Voidable
Standing to Sue
Any interested person, including media organizations. District Attorney may bring criminal charges for intentional violations.
Enforcement Body
Superior Court (civil action), District Attorney (criminal)
Scope
This law applies to:
- City
- County
- Special District
- School District
- Community College District
- Joint Powers Authority
Legislature:
Exempt (follows own rules)
Accessibility & Language Access
ADA accessibility: Gov. Code § 54953.2 requires all meeting facilities to be accessible to persons with disabilities. On request, the legislative body must provide reasonable ADA accommodations, including auxiliary aids and services.
Language access: The Brown Act imposes no translation or interpretation mandate. The Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act (Gov. Code §§ 7290 et seq.) applies to state agencies, not local legislative bodies. Federal Title VI obligations apply to recipients of federal funds.
Notes
The Brown Act applies only to local legislative bodies. State bodies are governed by the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (see separate entry).
Agenda & Notice Requirements
Emergency Meetings
1 hour
Online posting:
Required
Notice of meeting must be given at least 10 days in advance. Agenda must be posted on the body's internet website at least 10 days before the meeting, along with any writings distributed to members. Notice must be sent to persons who have requested it.
Agenda changes at meeting:
Not allowed
Public Participation
Time limits: Public comment opportunity required on each agenda item before or during discussion. Bodies may adopt reasonable time limits.
Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Gov. Code § 11125.7) requires state bodies to allow public comment before or during deliberation on each agenda item. Bodies may impose reasonable time limits. Written comments on agenda items must be accepted before the meeting and made part of the record. Bodies may not exclude members of the public as a condition of participating.
Virtual Meetings
Member Remote Participation
Allowed
Public Remote Comment
Allowed
Members may participate remotely under AB 2449 provisions extended to state bodies. Teleconference locations must be identified in the notice, be accessible, and allow public participation. A quorum must be physically present.
Closed Sessions
Closed (executive) sessions:
Allowed under specific circumstances
Permitted Categories
- Personnel
- Pending Litigation
- Real Property Negotiations
- Examination Of Witnesses
- Security Devices
- Deliberation On Adjudicatory Proceeding
Meeting Minutes
Publication Deadline
30 days
Online posting:
Required
Content requirements: Must record votes. Actions taken in closed session must be disclosed. Date, time, place, members present, all votes (Gov. Code § 11125.4).
Enforcement
Violation Effect
Voidable
Standing to Sue
Any interested person. Attorney General may bring action for violations.
Enforcement Body
Superior Court (civil action), Attorney General (enforcement)
Scope
This law applies to:
- State Agency
- State Board
- State Commission
Legislature:
Exempt (follows own rules)
Accessibility & Language Access
ADA accessibility: ADA Title II applies to all state body meetings. On request, the state body must provide reasonable accommodations including auxiliary aids and services. The Bagley-Keene Act does not add requirements beyond federal law.
Language access: State bodies are subject to the Dymally-Alatorre Bilingual Services Act (Gov. Code §§ 7290 et seq.), which requires state agencies that serve a significant number of non-English-speaking persons to provide bilingual public contact services. The Bagley-Keene Act itself imposes no per-meeting translation mandate.
Notes
Bagley-Keene applies to state boards, commissions, and similar multimember bodies created by statute. It does not apply to the legislature (which follows its own joint rules) or to local bodies (which are covered by the Brown Act).
