Starting January 1, 2026, significant changes to how public agencies conduct their meetings under the Ralph M. Brown Act (Gov. Code section 54950 et seq.) (“the Act”) will take effect as the result of Senate Bill 707 (“SB 707”), Chapter 327, Statutes 2025.

Upcoming changes to the ability of community college academic senates and student organizations to utilize teleconferencing are described below. Teleconferencing for these two groups will be subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.

Subsidiary Bodies, Including an Academic Senate

The general teleconferencing requirements under SB 707 are summarized in "Teleconferencing Board Meetings Under the Brown Act Per SB 707 Effective January 1, 2026." (See generally Gov. Code section 54953.8.)

SB 707 expands the conditions under which “eligible subsidiary bodies” may conduct teleconference meetings. (See Gov. Code section 54953.8.6(a)). SB 707 defines an “eligible subsidiary body” as a group created by a legislative body that is advisory in nature, cannot take final legislative or fiscal action, and does not have authority over elections, budgets, or policing. (See Gov. Code section 54953.8.6(b)). The Act defines subsidiary bodies to include bodies that function in an advisory capacity to the Board of Trustees. (Gov. Code sections 54952(b); 54953.8.6(b)(1)(A)). The California Attorney General has determined that meetings of the academic senate are subject to the open meeting requirements of the Act (66 Op.Atty.Gen.252(1983)).

As a result, pursuant to Gov. Code section 54953.8.6, for an academic senate to employ teleconferencing during a meeting, it must, in addition to satisfying the general teleconferencing requirements in Gov. Code section 54953.8:

• ensure there is a designated physical meeting location where the public can attend in person;
• have at least one academic senate member present at the physical meeting during the meeting;
• have a posted agenda at the physical meeting location; 
• require remote-participating members to appear on camera (with certain exceptions) during the open portion of the meeting that is publicly accessible via the internet or other online platform.

In addition, the Board of Trustees is required to act by majority vote to authorize the academic senate to utilize teleconferencing. Once authorized, the Board of Trustees must also periodically review and approve the academic senate's use of teleconferencing every six months thereafter. 

Eligible Community College Student Organizations

SB 707 also expressly authorizes “eligible community college student organizations—which include student body associations and other student-run community college organizations—to use teleconferencing. In addition to complying with SB 707 general teleconferencing requirements, Government Code section 54953.8.5 sets forth the requirements for an eligible community college student organization to employ teleconferencing:

• the Board of Trustees must authorize remote participation for student organizations; 
• a majority of the community college student organization must vote to allow teleconferencing and must notify the Board of Trustees that it elects to use teleconferencing and its justification for doing so; 
• after receiving notification from an eligible community college organization, the Board of Trustees may adopt a resolution to prohibit the student organization from using teleconferencing;
• a quorum, as defined in Section 54953.8.5(a)(1)(D), participates from a single physical location which is open to the public and other physical location requirements are met.

If you have any questions regarding SB 707 or would like assistance with reviewing and updating procedures for meetings or responding to questions about teleconferencing by academic senates or student organizations, please contact our office. Parker & Covert LLP has offices located in southern and northern California. We invite you to visit our website at www.ParkerCovert.com.

_{This Parker & Covert LLP post is intended for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Legal issues and principles apply differently, sometimes substantially, depending on context and facts.
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