Senate Bill 707
Implementation plan
June 8, 2026
What this means for cities:
•Substantial revision to the
Ralph M. Brown Act in
several years.
•New agenda posting and
meeting requirements,
including but not limited
to translations, outreach,
and hybrid meetings
•New unfunded mandates.
•Additional costs in some
meeting support areas.
SB 707 was signed into law on October 3, 2025.
Phase 1 requirements
•All Legislative Bodies (Effective January 1, 2026):
•Mandatory distribution of copies of The Brown Act to elected and appointed officials.
•Reporting obligations for approval of any changes in compensation of executive officials, department heads or other similar administrative officer.
•ADA teleconferencing for members: Members with recognized disabilities may participate via teleconference as a reasonable accommodation and count toward a physical quorum. Additionally, agendas must explain how to request reasonable accommodations, including for the public, and such requests must be addressed promptly.
•Optional “just cause” teleconferencing: Government Code §54953.8.3 allows, but does not require, remote participation by members for “just cause” (e.g., illness, childcare, emergency circumstances), conditioned on full two-way remote public participation and other Brown Act requirements.
Phase 2 requirements
•City Council as an Eligible Legislative Body (Effective July 1, 2026):
•Mandatory remote public access: The City Council must offer a two-way audiovisual and telephone platform, or two-way telephonic service only, with equal speaking time for in-person and remote participants and auto-captioning enabled for audiovisual platforms.
•Teleconference Disruption policy – The City Council must adopt a policy addressing disruptions to telephonic or internet services, including good-faith restoration efforts and specific roll-call findings if the Council proceeds without restoring remote access. This is included in Draft Resolution No.26-20.
•Agenda translation: Agendas must be translated and posted in applicable languages; based on census data, Spanish is required for the City of Bellflower. Automated translation tools are permitted.
•Allow the public to post a translation of the City Council agenda in a physical location that is freely accessible in reasonable proximity reasonable proximity to the physical location in which the agenda and translations are posted. •Meeting translation support and outreach: The City must reasonably assist members of the public in obtaining or providing interpretation (e.g., space for interpreters, extra time) and must make reasonable outreach efforts to encourage participation from underrepresented groups and non-English- speaking communities.
•A system for the public to electronically sign up for the City Council Agenda Distribution List.
Eligible Legislative Body
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Los Angeles County, California
Phase 2 requirements:
Mandatory remote public access
The City Council must offer a two-way audiovisual and telephone platform, or two-way telephonic service only, with equal speaking time for in-person and remote participants and auto-captioning enabled for audiovisual platforms.
Phase 2 requirements:
Teleconference Disruption policy
The City Council must adopt a policy addressing disruptions to telephonic or internet services, including good-faith restoration efforts and specific roll-call findings if the Council proceeds without restoring remote access.
Phase 2 requirements:
Translation of Agendas
Agendas must be translated and posted in applicable languages. Based on census data, Spanish is required for the City of Bellflower. Automated translation tools are permitted.
Phase 2 requirements:
Public Translation of Agendas
Allow for any member of the public to post a translation of the City Council agenda in a physical location that is freely accessible to the public in reasonable proximity to the physical location in which the agenda and translations are posted.
Phase 2 requirements:
Meeting Translation Support and outreach
The City must reasonably assist members of the public in obtaining and providing interpretation (e.g., space for interpreters, extra time) and must make reasonable outreach efforts to encourage participation from groups that do not traditionally participate in public meetings, including non-English-speaking communities.
✓City Council meeting information
will be included in:
✓Social media posts; and
✓Quarterly City Life magazine
and monthly City Life Now
newsletters.
✓We are also working on an update
to the Meetings and Agendas
webpage to include additional
information about how to
participate in City Council
meetings.
✓There is a Google translate feature
on the website, so the public can
translate the information posted,
as needed.
Phase 2 requirements:
Electronic sign-up for agenda distribution list
A system for the public to electronically sign up for the City Council Agenda Distribution List.
Agenda Distribution List
✓List started in 2017.
✓Currently: 98 individuals,
including some City staff.
✓Agenda distributed via email
shortly after agenda has been
posted.
✓Web sign-up form will be
created.
Recommendation to city council
1) Receive and file the SB 707 Implementation Plan; and 2) Adopt Resolution No. 26-20; or
3) Alternatively, discuss and take other action related to this item.
Senate Bill 707
Implementation plan
June 8, 2026
A language according to the most recent American Community Survey, spoken jointly by 20 percent or more of the applicable population, provided that 20 percent or more of the population that speaks that language in the city speaks English less than “very well.”