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<ns0:Id>20250AB__213498AMD</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>98</ns0:VersionNum>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-18</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-03-16</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:MeasureType>AB</ns0:MeasureType>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Addis</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Name>Addis</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 36513 of the Government Code, relating to local government. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>local government</ns0:RelatingClause>
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<ns0:Subject>City council members: absences without permission.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law provides that if a city council member is absent without permission from all regular city council meetings for a specified number of days from the last regular meeting they attended, their office becomes vacant and shall be filled as any other vacancy.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would prohibit a city from refusing permission for a council member to take absences for parental leave and would exclude parental leave from counting toward the number of allowed absences allotted to each council member. The bill would prohibit a city from requiring a council member to request approval for their parental leave at a public hearing.</html:p>
<html:p>The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.</html:p>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.</html:p>
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<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
<ns0:FiscalCommittee>NO</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
<ns0:LocalProgram>NO</ns0:LocalProgram>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 36513 of the
<ns0:DocName>Government Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>36513.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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If a city council member is absent without permission from all regular city council meetings for 60 days consecutively from the last regular meeting they attended, their office becomes vacant and shall be filled as any other vacancy.
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(b)
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Notwithstanding subdivision (a), if a city council meets monthly or less frequently than monthly and a city council member is absent without permission from all regular city council meetings for 70 days consecutively from the last regular meeting they attended, their office becomes vacant and shall be filled as any other vacancy.
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(c)
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Parental leave shall not count toward the existing number of allowed absences allotted to each council member.
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(d)
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A city shall not refuse permission for a council member to take absences for parental leave.
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(e)
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Notwithstanding the Ralph M. Brown Act (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5), a city shall not require a council member to request approval for their parental leave at a public hearing.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of this act amending Section 36513 of the Government Code addresses a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution. Therefore, Section 1 of this act applies to all cities, including charter cities.</html:p>
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares that Section 1 of this act, which amends Section 36513 of the Government Code, imposes a limitation on the public’s right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies within the meaning of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution. Pursuant to that constitutional provision, the Legislature makes the following findings to demonstrate the interest protected by this limitation and the need for protecting that interest:</html:p>
<html:p>In order to protect the privacy of city council
members, the limitation on the public’s right of access imposed by Section 1 of this act is necessary.</html:p>
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