Memorandum
Date: June 23, 2026
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors
From: Lloyd C. Guintivano, County Counsel
Subject: (a) Presentation of Senate Bill (SB) 707 in Relation to Statutes Under the Brown Act Taking Effect on July 1, 2026; (b) Consideration of Adding Rule 16 (County of Lake Policy Regarding Remote Access During Ralph M. Brown Act Meetings) to Section 2, of Chapter 1 of the County of Lake's Policies and Procedures.
Executive Summary:
On October 3, 2025, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 707 (Durazo), which enacted significant amendments to the Ralph M. Brown Act. SB 707 requires that members of the public be provided an opportunity to comment at Board of Supervisors meetings through remote two-way participation (e.g., telephone or video conferencing) for all regular meetings, unless an exemption applies. SB 707 mandates that the Board adopt a policy to address disruptions in remote participation services. If a disruption occurs, the meeting must recess for at least one hour while restoration efforts are made. A roll call vote is required to resume the meeting if reasonable efforts were made to restore service and continuing the meeting serves the public interest.
SB 707 also requires the County to implement the certain language interpretation and translation requirements at meetings for counties meeting specific eligibility criteria. Finally, minor revisions are proposed to align with current technology used for constituents to request to speak. These changes ensure compliance with state law, enhance public access and participation, and improve meeting efficiency.
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