Ralph M. Brown Act: closed sessions.

Existing law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, generally requires that all meetings of a legislative body of a local agency be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend and participate. Existing law authorizes a legislative body to hold a closed session with specified individuals on, among other things, matters posing a threat to the security of essential public services, as specified. This bill would additionally authorize a legislative body to hold a closed session with other law enforcement or security personnel and to hold a closed session on a threat to critical infrastructure controls or critical infrastructure information, as defined, relating to cybersecurity. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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.