Open and public meetings: televised meetings.

The Ralph M. Brown Act requires that an audio or video recording of an open and public meeting made at the direction of a local agency is subject to inspection pursuant to the California Public Records Act and may be erased or destroyed 30 days after the recording. Existing law requires that any inspection of an audio or video recording shall be provided without charge on equipment made available by the local agency. The Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 provides that cities, counties, cities and counties, or joint powers authorities receive state franchise fees in exchange for the use of public rights-of-way for the delivery of cable and video services provided within their jurisdictions, based on gross revenues, pursuant to a specified formula, from state franchise holders that provide public, educational, and governmental access (PEG) channels. The bill would provide that an audio or video recording of an open and public meeting made at the direction of a local agency may be erased or destroyed 2 years after the recording. The bill would require a local agency that collects a franchise fee from the holder of a state franchise that provides PEG channels to televise the open and public meetings of its legislative body and planning commission, unless doing so would result in a financial hardship, as defined, in which case the local agency would be required to broadcast the meetings via an audio-visual electronic medium or an audio medium, as specified. The bill would also authorize the use of the franchise fees to televise the open and public meetings of the local agency and to cover the necessary expenses, as defined, for implementing the televising of the local agency's open and public meetings. The bill would authorize, if franchise fee moneys in excess of that necessary to televise these meetings are available, the use of such fees to provide live streaming of these meetings on the Internet. By imposing new duties on local public officials to televise open and public meetings, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.