May 5, 2026
TO: City Council
REQUESTED BY: Craig Hayes,
APPROVED BY: Robert A. Johnson, City Manager
SUBJECT: Approval of Resolution Adopting SB 707 Disruption of Telephonic or Internet Service Policy
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council adopt Resolution No. 4121, approving SB 707 Disruption of Telephonic or Internet Service Policy.
DISCUSSION:
Senate Bill 707
The Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code section 54950 et seq.) imposes open meeting requirements on local legislative bodies. In 2025, the Legislature adopted Senate Bill 707 (“SB 707”), which reorganizes, clarifies, and updates various Brown Act provisions, including those governing teleconferencing, remote public participation, and meeting procedures.
SB 707 applies to all legislative bodies, but certain special provisions apply only to “eligible legislative bodies,” as defined. The San Jacinto City Council qualifies as an “eligible legislative body” because the City of San Jacinto has a population of more than 30,000 people.
Among other things, starting July 1, 2026, SB 707 requires “eligible legislative bodies” to follow specific requirements for providing remote access to public participants in Council meetings via two-way audiovisual platforms or two-way telephonic services; captioning when using audiovisual platforms; and expanded accessibility and translation for notices and websites. The City is in the process of implementing these requirements.
Requirement to Adopt a Policy for Service Disruptions for Remote Meeting Participants A key aspect of SB 707 is that eligible legislative bodies are required, on or before July 1, 2026, to adopt a policy governing disruption of telephonic and internet service for remote participants.
Such a policy must be adopted by a separate majority vote (i.e. not on the consent calendar) of the eligible legislative body in an open session.
SB 707 sets specific requirements that must be contained within that policy. It must contain procedures for recessing and reconvening a meeting in the event of disruption. It must also specify the efforts that the eligible legislative body shall make to attempt to restore the service for persons participating remotely in the meeting.
These requirements include recessing the open session and making a good faith attempt to restore the service if a disruption of telephonic or internet services occurs that prevents the public from attending or observing the meeting. The policy must also prohibit the legislative body from reconvening the open session of the meeting until at least one hour following the disruption, or until telephonic or internet service is restored, whichever is earlier.
Additionally, if telephonic or internet service cannot be restored, the eligible legislative body may reconvene the open session provided it adopts a finding by roll call vote that good faith efforts to restore the telephonic or internet service have been made in accordance with its SB 707 policy and the public interest in continuing the meeting outweighs the public interest in remote public access.
These requirements do not apply to certain specified types of meetings. The attached SB 707 Disruption of Telephonic or Internet Service Policy lists those exemptions and incorporates all of the required provisions noted here.
Disruptions Caused by Participants
While not required under SB 707, the attached SB 707 Disruption of Telephonic or Internet Service Policy also includes a section with guidance to the City Council and staff in the event of an intentional disruption to a meeting caused by a remote public participant or group of participants.
Such intentional disruptions may include, but are not limited to, so-called “Zoom-bombing.” Zoom-bombing involves the use of a remote participation platform to visually or audibly disrupt a meeting by sharing obscene or offensive material; use of obscene, threatening, or offensive language; making disruptive noise; or otherwise preventing the meeting from functioning.
While the City can respond when remote participants actually disrupt a public meeting, the First Amendment and Brown Act rights of public participants must also be respected, even if that speech is offensive. Therefore, it is beneficial for local legislative bodies to have written guidance about how and when to respond. Written guidance can empower the Mayor, Councilmembers, and staff to address such disruptions in an effective and lawful manner.
The attached policy provides that in the event of an actual disruption, after a first verbal warning from the Mayor or City Clerk, a disruptive remote public participant may have their microphone muted, have their video switched off, or be removed entirely from the meeting, either as a last resort or because stopping the video or muting the participant is not available on the service being used. The policy also defines an actual disruption in accordance with relevant laws, so that the Mayor and staff can distinguish between protected First Amendment speech and a disruption.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
There is no direct fiscal impact associated with adopting this policy.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution No. 4121 - SB 707 Distruption of Telephonic or Internet Service Policy SB 707 Disruption of Telephonic or Internet Service Policy