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<ns0:Id>20250SB__118799INT</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-19</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:MeasureNum>1187</ns0:MeasureNum>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Durazo</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>SENATE</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Durazo</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to add Section 54952.65 to the Government Code, relating to local government. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>local government</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Open meetings: majority.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a legislative body, as defined, of a local agency be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend and participate. Existing law defines “meetings” for these purposes to mean any congregation of a majority of the members of a legislative body at the same time and location, as specified, to hear, discuss, deliberate, or take action on any item that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would define “majority” for purposes of the act to mean the number of members of the legislative body equaling more than half of the total number of seats on the legislative body. The bill would specify that if a seat on the legislative body is vacant, that seat is to still be counted as a seat on
the legislative body.</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>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.</html:p>
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<ns0:DigestKey>
<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:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
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<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
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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 54952.65 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Government Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:Num>54952.65.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>As used in this chapter, “majority” means the number of members of the legislative body equaling more than half of the total number of seats on the legislative body. If a seat on the legislative body is vacant, that seat shall still be counted as a seat on the legislative body.</html:p>
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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, which adds Section 54952.65 to 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>Ensuring that legislative bodies do not take actions unless a sufficient number of members are present at the meeting ensures that actions take place with sufficient public scrutiny.</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 adds Section 54952.65 to the Government Code, furthers, within the meaning of paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution, the purposes of that constitutional section as it relates to the right of public access to the meetings of local public bodies or the writings of local public officials and local agencies. Pursuant to paragraph (7) of subdivision (b) of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution, the Legislature makes the following findings:</html:p>
<html:p>Ensuring that legislative bodies do not take actions unless a sufficient number of members are present at the meeting ensures that actions take place with sufficient public
scrutiny.</html:p>
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