Bill Commons

CA SB 470

enacted

Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act: teleconferencing.

California · 2025-2026 Regular Session · upper

Quick answers

Did CA SB 470 pass?

Yes. CA SB 470 has been enacted into law as of 2025-10-01. Latest recorded action (2025-10-01): Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 222, Statutes of 2025.

What is CA SB 470 about?

Existing law, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a state body be open and public and all persons be permitted to attend any meeting of a state body. The act authorizes meetings through teleconference subject to specified requirements, including, among others, that the state body post agendas at all teleconference locations, that each teleconference location be identified in the notice and agenda of the meeting or proceeding, that each teleconference location be accessible to the public, that the agenda provide an opportunity for members of the public to address the state body directly at each teleconference location, and that at least one member of the state body be physically present at the location specified in the notice of the meeting. The act authorizes an additional, alternative set of provisions under which a state body may hold a meeting by teleconference subject to specified requirements, including, among others, that at least one member of the state body is physically present at each teleconference location, as defined, that a majority of the members of the state body are physically present at the same teleconference location, except as specified, and that members of the state body visibly appear on camera during the open portion of a meeting that is publicly accessible via the internet or other online platform, except as specified. The act authorizes, under specified circumstances, a member of the state body to participate pursuant to these provisions from a remote location, which would not be required to be accessible to the public and which the act prohibits the notice and agenda from disclosing. The act repeals these provisions on January 1, 2026. This bill would instead repeal these provisions on January 1, 2030. The act authorizes a multimember state advisory body to hold an open meeting by teleconference pursuant to an alternative set of provisions that are in addition to the above-described provisions generally applicable to state bodies. These alternative provisions specify requirements, including, among others, that the multimember state advisory body designates the primary physical meeting location in the notice of the meeting where members of the public may physically attend the meeting and participate. Until January 1, 2026, the act requires that at least one staff member of the state body is present at the primary physical meeting location during the meeting, and that the members of the state body visibly appear on camera during the open portion of a meeting that is publicly accessible via the internet or other online platform, except as specified. The act, beginning January 1, 2026, instead requires that a quorum of the members of the state body be in attendance at the primary physical meeting location, as described above, and that all decisions taken during the teleconference be by rollcall, and modifies certain of the above requirements related to the primary physical meeting location. This bill would extend the former provisions to January 1, 2030, and would make the latter provisions operative on January 1, 2030. 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. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

Who sponsors CA SB 470?

Laird is the primary sponsor of CA SB 470.

Description

Existing law, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a state body be open and public and all persons be permitted to attend any meeting of a state body. The act authorizes meetings through teleconference subject to specified requirements, including, among others, that the state body post agendas at all teleconference locations, that each teleconference location be identified in the notice and agenda of the meeting or proceeding, that each teleconference location be accessible to the public, that the agenda provide an opportunity for members of the public to address the state body directly at each teleconference location, and that at least one member of the state body be physically present at the location specified in the notice of the meeting. The act authorizes an additional, alternative set of provisions under which a state body may hold a meeting by teleconference subject to specified requirements, including, among others, that at least one member of the state body is physically present at each teleconference location, as defined, that a majority of the members of the state body are physically present at the same teleconference location, except as specified, and that members of the state body visibly appear on camera during the open portion of a meeting that is publicly accessible via the internet or other online platform, except as specified. The act authorizes, under specified circumstances, a member of the state body to participate pursuant to these provisions from a remote location, which would not be required to be accessible to the public and which the act prohibits the notice and agenda from disclosing. The act repeals these provisions on January 1, 2026. This bill would instead repeal these provisions on January 1, 2030. The act authorizes a multimember state advisory body to hold an open meeting by teleconference pursuant to an alternative set of provisions that are in addition to the above-described provisions generally applicable to state bodies. These alternative provisions specify requirements, including, among others, that the multimember state advisory body designates the primary physical meeting location in the notice of the meeting where members of the public may physically attend the meeting and participate. Until January 1, 2026, the act requires that at least one staff member of the state body is present at the primary physical meeting location during the meeting, and that the members of the state body visibly appear on camera during the open portion of a meeting that is publicly accessible via the internet or other online platform, except as specified. The act, beginning January 1, 2026, instead requires that a quorum of the members of the state body be in attendance at the primary physical meeting location, as described above, and that all decisions taken during the teleconference be by rollcall, and modifies certain of the above requirements related to the primary physical meeting location. This bill would extend the former provisions to January 1, 2030, and would make the latter provisions operative on January 1, 2030. 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. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.

Introduced
2025-02-19
Latest action
2025-10-01 — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 222, Statutes of 2025.
Bill type
bill
Last updated

Subjects

Sponsors

  • Lairdauthor

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

  1. 2025-02-19

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

    introduction,reading-1,referral-committee

  2. 2025-02-20

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 22.

  3. 2025-02-26

    Referred to Coms. on G.O. and JUD.

    referral-committee

  4. 2025-03-12

    Set for hearing March 25.

  5. 2025-03-25

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 9. Noes 1. Page 530.) (March 25). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  6. 2025-03-27

    Set for hearing April 8.

  7. 2025-04-09

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 1. Page 706.) (April 8).

    amendment-passage,committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  8. 2025-04-10

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    amendment-passage,reading-1,reading-2,referral-committee

  9. 2025-04-17

    Set for hearing April 28.

  10. 2025-04-28

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

    committee-passage,reading-1,reading-2

  11. 2025-04-29

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  12. 2025-06-02

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 5. Page 1386.) Ordered to the Assembly.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  13. 2025-06-03

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

    reading-1

  14. 2025-06-09

    Referred to Com. on G.O.

    referral-committee

  15. 2025-07-10

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 17. Noes 5.) (July 9). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable,referral-committee

  16. 2025-08-20

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 12. Noes 2.) (August 20).

    committee-passage,committee-passage-favorable

  17. 2025-08-21

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

    reading-1,reading-2,reading-3

  18. 2025-09-08

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 57. Noes 13. Page 2985.) Ordered to the Senate.

    passage,reading-1,reading-3

  19. 2025-09-08

    In Senate. Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

    committee-passage

  20. 2025-09-16

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

    executive-receipt

  21. 2025-10-01

    Approved by the Governor.

    executive-signature

  22. 2025-10-01

    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 222, Statutes of 2025.

    became-law

Versions

  • 02/19/25 - Introduced — 2025-02-19Compare
  • 04/10/25 - Amended Senate — 2025-04-10Compare
  • 09/10/25 - Enrolled — 2025-09-10Compare
  • 10/01/25 - Chaptered — 2025-10-01Compare
  • SB470Compare
  • (document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

  • Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]

    2025-03-25 · pass · 9-1

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Richardson: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • Hurtado: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Jones: no
    • Ochoa Bogh: other
    • Dahle: other
    • Rubio: other
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: other
    • Valladares: other
  • Do pass as amended, but first amend, and re-refer to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-04-08 · pass · 10-1

    Member-level votes (13)
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Niello: no
    • Valladares: other
    • Caballero: other
  • 3rd Reading

    2025-06-02 · pass · 28-5

    Member-level votes (40)
    • Pérez: yes
    • Rubio: yes
    • Padilla: yes
    • Cervantes: yes
    • Wahab: yes
    • Smallwood-Cuevas: yes
    • Wiener: yes
    • Cortese: yes
    • Ashby: yes
    • Gonzalez: yes
    • Arreguín: yes
    • Archuleta: yes
    • Umberg: yes
    • Becker: yes
    • Laird: yes
    • Durazo: yes
    • McGuire: yes
    • Ochoa Bogh: yes
    • Dahle: yes
    • Blakespear: yes
    • McNerney: yes
    • Limón: yes
    • Allen: yes
    • Grove: yes
    • Stern: yes
    • Weber Pierson: yes
    • Cabaldon: yes
    • Richardson: yes
    • Niello: no
    • Seyarto: no
    • Alvarado-Gil: no
    • Strickland: no
    • Jones: no
    • Valladares: other
    • Menjivar: other
    • Caballero: other
    • Reyes: other
    • Hurtado: other
    • Choi: other
    • Grayson: other
  • Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]

    2025-07-09 · pass · 17-5

    Member-level votes (22)
    • Ramos: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Nguyen: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Dixon: no
    • Macedo: no
    • Sanchez: no
    • Ta: no
    • Wallis: no
  • Do pass.

    2025-08-20 · pass · 12-2

    Member-level votes (15)
    • Fong: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Ta: no
    • Dixon: no
    • Jeff Gonzalez: other
  • SB 470 Laird Senate Third Reading By Hart

    2025-09-08 · pass · 57-13

    Member-level votes (80)
    • Ahrens: yes
    • Mark González: yes
    • Gipson: yes
    • Rogers: yes
    • Addis: yes
    • Ward: yes
    • Haney: yes
    • Hart: yes
    • Fong: yes
    • Elhawary: yes
    • Calderon: yes
    • Carrillo: yes
    • Bains: yes
    • Ransom: yes
    • Soria: yes
    • Michelle Rodriguez: yes
    • Berman: yes
    • Valencia: yes
    • Wicks: yes
    • Celeste Rodriguez: yes
    • Arambula: yes
    • Connolly: yes
    • Schultz: yes
    • Bauer-Kahan: yes
    • Bennett: yes
    • Papan: yes
    • Schiavo: yes
    • Ávila Farías: yes
    • Pacheco: yes
    • Boerner: yes
    • Alvarez: yes
    • Lee: yes
    • Stefani: yes
    • Caloza: yes
    • Sharp-Collins: yes
    • Ortega: yes
    • Solache: yes
    • Lowenthal: yes
    • Blanca Rubio: yes
    • Jackson: yes
    • Bryan: yes
    • Petrie-Norris: yes
    • Harabedian: yes
    • Gabriel: yes
    • Zbur: yes
    • Davies: yes
    • McKinnor: yes
    • Pellerin: yes
    • Krell: yes
    • Irwin: yes
    • Tangipa: yes
    • Ramos: yes
    • Patel: yes
    • Kalra: yes
    • Rivas: yes
    • Chen: yes
    • Garcia: yes
    • Johnson: no
    • Quirk-Silva: no
    • Dixon: no
    • Hoover: no
    • Gallagher: no
    • Sanchez: no
    • Ta: no
    • Castillo: no
    • Macedo: no
    • Alanis: no
    • Wallis: no
    • Patterson: no
    • DeMaio: no
    • Muratsuchi: other
    • Hadwick: other
    • Nguyen: other
    • Lackey: other
    • Bonta: other
    • Aguiar-Curry: other
    • Jeff Gonzalez: other
    • Wilson: other
    • Ellis: other
    • Flora: other

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T01:34:27.960412Z

Inspect retained evidence for changes recorded after evidence tracking began:

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