(1) Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a legislative body of a local agency, as those terms are defined, be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend and participate. The act contains specified provisions regarding providing for the ability of the public to observe and provide comment. The act allows for meetings to occur via teleconferencing subject to certain requirements, particularly that the legislative body notice each teleconference location of each member that will be participating in the public meeting, that each teleconference location be accessible to the public, that members of the public be allowed to address the legislative body at each teleconference location, that the legislative body post an agenda at each teleconference location, and that at least a quorum of the legislative body participate from locations within the boundaries of the local agency's jurisdiction. The act provides an exemption to the jurisdictional requirement for health authorities, as defined.
California AB 557 (20232024) — Open meetings: local agencies: teleconferences.
(1) Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a legislative body of a local agency, as those terms are defined, be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend and participate. The act contains specified provisions regarding providing for the ability of the public to observe and provide comment. The act allows for meetings to occur via teleconferencing subject to certain requirements, particularly that the legislative body notice each teleconference location of each member that will be participating in the public meeting, that each teleconference location be accessible to the public, that members of the public be allowed to address the legislative body at each teleconference location, that the legislative body post an agenda at each teleconference location, and that at least a quorum of the legislative body participate from locations within the boundaries of the local agency's jurisdiction. The act provides an exemption to the jurisdictional requirement for health authorities, as defined.
Version chain
The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
3rd Reading AB557 Hart et al. By Ashby — 40–0 (pass) · upper
Do pass. — 8–0 (pass) · lower
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] — 8–0 (pass) · upper
Do pass — 11–0 (pass) · upper
AB 557 Hart Concurrence in Senate Amendments — 79–0 (pass) · lower
AB 557 Hart Assembly Third Reading — 78–0 (pass) · lower
Sponsors
Hart — primary (person)
Garcia — coauthor (person)
Pacheco — coauthor (person)
Timeline
The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
2023-02-08 Read first time. To print. reading-1
2023-02-09 From printer. May be heard in committee March 11.
2023-02-17 Referred to Com. on L. GOV. referral-committee
2023-04-27 Coauthors revised.
2023-04-27 From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (April 26). committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2023-05-01 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-1, reading-2
2023-05-15 Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 1547.) passage, reading-1, reading-3
2023-05-16 In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. reading-1
2023-05-24 Referred to Coms. on GOV. & F. and JUD. referral-committee
2023-06-07 From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (June 7). Re-referred to Com. on JUD. committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable, referral-committee
2023-06-19 From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD. amendment-introduction, amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-2, referral-committee
2023-06-28 From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (June 27). committee-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2023-06-29 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-1, reading-2
2023-09-01 Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading. amendment-passage, reading-1, reading-3
2023-09-05 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-1, reading-2
2023-09-07 Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2461.). passage, reading-1, reading-3
2023-09-07 In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending. May be considered on or after September 9 pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.
2023-09-11 Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 3190.). amendment-passage, committee-passage-favorable
2023-09-15 Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
2023-10-08 Approved by the Governor. executive-signature
2023-10-08 Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 534, Statutes of 2023. became-law
Source
OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/359da37b-17a7-4ce8-9c87-041905becb1a. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).
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