G.6 - AB 361AB 361
Teleconference Meetings
Traditional
Brown Act
Remote
Meeting
Requirements
•Public posting of agendas at the
location of remote participation
by members of the legislative
body
•Public access to those locations
•A quorum of the legislative body
must participate from
teleconference locations within
the local agency’s jurisdiction.
Governor’s
Executive
Orders
•Executive Order N-25-20 (March
2020) and related orders
•The Executive Orders collectively
served to remove suspend the
teleconference meeting
requirements
•Granted most flexibility for
remote meetings
•Expired September 30, 2021
AB 361
•Adopted September 16, 2021
•Effective October 1, 2021
•Allows public agencies to continue
to utilize remote/virtual platforms
for meetings subject to certain
findings.
•If not invoked, traditional
teleconferencing requirements
apply.
Finding 1
•A state of emergency exists as
proclaimed by the Governor
Finding 2
•State or local officials have
imposed or recommended
measures to promote social
distancing; or
•The legislative body is meeting for
the purpose of determining by
majority vote whether, as a result
of the state of emergency,
meeting in person would present
imminent risks to the health or
safety of attendees; or
•The legislative has previously
determined, by majority vote, that,
as a result of the state of
emergency, meeting in person
would present imminent risks to the
health or safety of attendees.
REQUIREMENTS
No physical location is required for public attendance or public comment. However,
the public must be able to access and participate in the meeting through a call-in or
an internet-based service, and instructions for how to participate must appear in the
posted notices or agenda;
Teleconferenced meetings must protect the statutory and constitutional rights of the
parties and the public;
The public must be able to attend the meeting via call-in option or internet-based
service option;
REQUIREMENTS
Legislative bodies may allow public comments to be submitted prior to a
meeting, but must also allow the public to participate in real time through
call-in or internet-based service. A legislative body cannot require public
comments be submitted in advance of the meeting;
If there is any disruption of the call-in or internet-based service, the
legislative body must suspend the meeting and take no further action until
the problem is fixed;
REQUIREMENTS
When providing a public comment period, whether after
each item or during a general comment period, a
legislative body must allow reasonable time for members
of the public to comment, and must also include
reasonable time for members to register with a third-
party host, if applicable.
Timed public comment periods cannot be closed until
that timed public comment period has elapsed.
AB 361
RENEWAL
•Must be renewed every 30 days
•Findings must still exist for renewal
•If no renewal, AB 361 reliance
lapses and traditional Brown Act
teleconferencing applies
DRAFT
RESOLUTION
•Based on findings that:
•A state of emergency exists as
proclaimed by the Governor and
•State or local officials have imposed or
recommended measures to promote
social distancing
•Need direction from Council on
how to implement if adopted
IMPLEMENTATION
All participants remote?
Council/Commission and staff in person with public remote?
All participants have option to attend in person or participate
remotely?