Joint powers agencies: Clean Power Alliance of Southern California: meetings.

The Joint Exercise of Powers Act authorizes 2 or more public agencies, if each is authorized by their respective legislative bodies, to enter into an agreement to jointly exercise any power common to those 2 agencies. The Ralph M. Brown Act requires that meetings of the legislative body of a local agency, including a joint powers agency, be open and public, with specified exceptions authorizing closed sessions for specified purposes. Existing law authorizes a joint powers agency to authorize, as specified, a designated alternate member of the legislative body of the joint powers agency who is also a member of the legislative body of a local agency member, and who is attending a properly noticed meeting of the joint powers agency in lieu of that agency's regularly appointed member, to attend closed sessions of the joint powers agency. Existing law also authorizes a joint powers agency to authorize, as specified, a member of the legislative body of a member local agency to disclose information obtained in a closed session that has direct financial or liability implications for that local agency to legal counsel of that member local agency for specified purposes or to other members of the legislative body of the local agency present in a closed session, as specified. Existing law requires all information received by the legislative body of the local agency member in a closed session related to the information presented to the joint powers agency in closed session to be confidential. This bill would authorize the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California, or its successor entity, to adopt a policy or bylaw or include in its joint power agreement a provision that authorizes both (1) a designated alternate member of its legislative body who is not a member of the legislative body of a local agency member, and who is attending a properly noticed meeting of the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California, or its successor entity, in lieu of a local agency member's regularly appointed member to attend closed sessions of the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California, or its successor entity, and (2) a designated alternate member of its legislative body, who is not a member of the legislative body of the local agency member, to disclose information obtained in a closed session that has direct financial or liability implications for the local agency member for which the designated alternate member attended the closed session, to legal counsel of the local agency member for specified purposes or to members of the legislative body of the local agency present in a closed session, as specified. The bill would otherwise require all information that is received by a designated alternate member of the legislative body of the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California, or its successor entity, who is not a member of the legislative body of a local agency member, and that is presented to the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California, or its successor entity, in closed session, to be confidential. The bill would require the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California, or its successor entity, to establish policies to prevent conflicts of interest and to address breaches of confidentiality that apply to a designated alternate member who is not a member of the legislative body of a local agency member who attends a closed session of the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California, or its successor entity, if the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California, or its successor entity, exercises the above-described authority provided by this bill. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2025. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California.