AB 1291: State bodies: open meetings.

The Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act requires that meetings of a state body be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend, with certain exceptions. Existing law provides that, subject to certain exceptions and reasonable regulations, the state body shall provide members of the public an opportunity to directly address the state body on agenda items. Existing law authorizes the state body to limit the amount of time allotted for each member of the public to speak, but specifies that members of the public who use translators shall be given twice that allotted amount of time.

This bill would also require a state body, when it limits time for public comment, to provide at least twice the allotted time to a member of the public who utilizes translating technology to address the state body. The bill would additionally make technical, nonsubstantive changes.