Local agency meetings: agenda: online posting.

(1) The Ralph M. Brown Act requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a legislative body of a local agency, as those terms are defined, be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend and participate. The act further requires the legislative body of a local agency to post, at least 72 hours before the meeting, an agenda containing a brief general description of each item of business to be transacted or discussed at a regular meeting, in a location that is freely accessible to members of the public and to provide a notice containing similar information with respect to a special meeting at least 24 hours prior to the special meeting. The act requires that the agenda or notice be freely accessible to members of the public and be posted on the local agency's Internet Web site, if the local agency has one. This bill would require an online posting of an agenda for a meeting occurring on and after January 1, 2019, of a legislative body of a city, county, city and county, special district, school district, or political subdivision established by the state that has an Internet Web site to be posted on the local agency's primary Internet Web site homepage accessible through a prominent, direct link, as specified. The bill would exempt a legislative body of a city, county, city and county, special district, school district, or political subdivision established by the state that has an Internet Web site from this requirement if it has an integrated agenda management platform that meets specified requirements, including, among others, that the current agenda is the first agenda available at the top of the integrated agenda management platform. The bill would authorize an integrated agenda management platform to include prior meeting agendas, as specified. The bill would require any agenda posted pursuant to these provisions to be in an open format that meets specified requirements, including, among others, that the agenda is platform independent and machine readable. The bill would also define terms for these purposes. (2) The California Constitution requires local agencies, for the purpose of ensuring public access to the meetings of public bodies and the writings of public officials and agencies, to comply with a statutory enactment that amends or enacts laws relating to public records or open meetings and contains findings demonstrating that the enactment furthers the constitutional requirements relating to this purpose. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. (3) 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.