City of Moreno Valley Legislative
Administrative Policy # 1.16
TECHNOLOGY DISTRUPTION POLICY REQUIRED BY SENATE BILL 707 Approved by: City Council
XX/XX/XXXX
PURP
OSE: The purpose of this policy is to establish procedures for responding to telephonic or internet service disruptions that prevent members of the public from accessing or observing meetings remotely, in compliance with Senate Bill 707 (2025) and the Brown Act. SB 707 requires eligible legislative bodies to adopt a technology disruption policy at a noticed public meeting on or before July 1, 2026, and specifies that the item may not be placed on the consent calendar and must be considered in open session. This policy is adopted to meet the requirement that eligible legislative bodies implement such a policy on or before July 1, 2026, and to ensure transparency and lawful public access during technical disruptions.
Senate Bill 707 remains in effect until January 1, 2030.
Thi
s policy also provides a framework to address and mitigate service interruptions by outlining communication protocols and alternative means of participation where feasible, so as to minimize disruptions and support continued public engagement in agency meetings.
DEF
INITIONS: Disruption: Disruption means any failure, outage, or other interruption that prevents members of the public from attending or observing a meeting via the City’s remote access services due to or caused by the City’s technology or the City’s employees or service providers. Disruption shall not include any failure, outage, or other interruption due to or caused by a remote participant or a remote participant’s technology, employees, or service providers.
Rem
ote access services: Remote access services means the two -way telephonic service and/or two-way audiovisual platform used to provide real -time remote public attendance and observation of meetings
PROCEDURE:
I. Applicability
This policy applies to all open and public meetings of the City of Moreno Valley City Council at which remote publ
ic participation is offered or required under the Brown Act.
II. Purpose
This policy establishes procedures for responding to a disruption in telephonic or internet services that provide two-way remote public access to meetings of the City of Moreno Valley, City Council, as required by the Brown Act (Gov. Code § 54953.4). This policy is adopted to meet the requirement that eligible legislative bodies implement such a policy on or before July 1, 2026, and to ensure transparency, public participation, and continuity of government during technical disruptions.
III. Procedures in the Event of a Service Disruption
A. Response to Service Disruption
1. If
the Presiding Officer or Clerk becomes aware of a disruption to the City of Moreno Valley, City Council’s remote access services that prevent members of the public from attending or observing the meeting remotely:
a. The Presiding Officer or Clerk shall immediately announce the disruption to the public.
The Presiding Officer shall call for a recess of the open session or convene the legislative body in closed session, consistent with the Brown Act.
b. Staff shall begin efforts to diagnose and restore the disrupted service. c. The meeting shall remain in recess for at least one hour or until service is restored, whichever is sooner. The recess period may be extended if restoration efforts are ongoing.
City of Moreno Valley Legislative
Administrative Policy # 1.16
TECHNOLOGY DISTRUPTION POLICY REQUIRED BY SENATE BILL 707 Approved by: City Council
XX/XX/XXXX
B. Efforts to Restore Service
The C
ity of Moreno Valley shall make good faith efforts to restore remote access services which may include:
1. Troubl
eshooting platform or teleconferencing software
2. Res
etting or replacing audiovisual equipment
3. Attem
pting alternative connection methods
4. Conta
cting necessary support staff or service providers
5. Swi
tching to back-up equipment or platforms, if available
The C
ity Clerk shall document the restoration efforts undertaken.
IV. Reconvening the Open Session
A. Timing: The open session may be reconvened after at least one hour has elapsed from the time of disruption or as soon as service is restored, whichever occurs earlier.
B. If Service is Restored: If remote access service is restored before or at the time the meeting reconvenes, the meeting shall continue as normal.
C. If service is Not Restored: If service has not been restored after one hour, the City of Moreno Valley City Council may reconvene and:
1. Adjour
n the meeting; or
2. Conti
nue the meeting in open session by adopting, by roll call vote, the following or a substantially similar finding: “The City of Moreno Valley has made good faith efforts to restore telephonic or internet service in accordance with its adopted policy, and the public interest in continuing the meeting outweighs the public interest in remote public access.” Upon ad
option of this finding, the legislative body may continue the open session despite the disruption.
Act
ions taken on agenda items during a disruption that prevents the legislative body from broadcasting the meeting may be challenged pursuant to Section 54960.1.
V. Recordkeeping
The
City Clerk shall enter a brief statement into the meeting minutes, including:
A. The nature and time of the disruption
B. The restoration efforts undertaken
C. The time the meeting was reconvened, if applicable
D. Any finding adopted pursuant to Section IV.C
City of Moreno Valley Legislative
Administrative Policy # 1.16
TECHNOLOGY DISTRUPTION POLICY REQUIRED BY SENATE BILL 707 Approved by: City Council
XX/XX/XXXX
VI. Review and Updates
This policy may be amended by the City of Moreno Valley City Council at a noticed public meeting in open session, not on the consent calendar.
REF
ERENCES: SB-707 (Durazo) (2025-2026 Legislative Regular Session), California Government Code, Title 5, Division 2, Part 1, Chapter 9 (“The Brown Act”)