The Ralph M. Brown Act

The Ralph M. Brown Act was adopted into the California Government Code in 1953. This legislation comprises a set of status mandating that the governing bodies of local public agencies conduct their business in public. The primary objective is to safeguard the public’s right to participate in local decision-making. Key requirements of the Act include the public posting of agendas, the holding of open and public meetings, the allowance of public participation, and the strict limitation of private discussions among decision-making bodies.

The Act has undergone multiple amendments to incorporate modern practices, such as references to internet usage and provisions for remote appearances. The most recent revisions, introduced under Senate Bill 707 (SB707), include updated requirements for language interpretation support and the translation of agendas for specified agencies.

Furthermore, SB707 obligates local agencies to furnish their elected or appointed officials with a complete copy of the Brown Act. To facilitate compliance with this mandate, Griswold LaSalle has undertaken the compilation of all provisions of the Brown Act into a single comprehensive guide. You can access the full Brown Act reference document here.

As technology and practices evolve, we anticipate future updates to the Act. For the most current statutory language, please refer to the Legislature’s official website.

In addition to the written materials above, our attorneys recently presented a Brown Act training for city staff and council members. Watch the Brown Act Training Webinar here. 

You may also contact our office for any clarification or to schedule a training session.