Public meetings: closed sessions: labor negotiations.

(1) The Ralph M. Brown Act requires the meetings of the legislative body of a local agency to be conducted openly and publicly, with specified exceptions. Under the act, the legislative body of a local agency may hold a closed session with the local agencies' designated representatives regarding negotiations concerning employee compensation, among other things, but is required, in an open and public session prior to those closed sessions, to disclose specified information identifying the agency's designated representatives. This bill would additionally require a local agency, before holding a closed session, as described above, for the purpose of having designated representatives report on a collectively bargained agreement with represented employees, to make the agreement publicly available at least 15 calendar days before the meeting at which the agreement is to be reported, thus imposing a state-mandated local program. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.