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Rules committee backs parental leave policy allowing teleconference participation
Summary
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors rules committee voted to forward a motion adopting a parental leave policy that mirrors city and state leave rules and permits teleconferenced participation under limited Brown Act provisions.
The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to forward a motion establishing a parental leave policy for board members, including limited teleconference participation under the Brown Act.
The motion, presented by legislative aide Jen Lowe on behalf of Supervisor Matt Dorsey Melgar, would amend the Board’s rules of order by adding a parental leave rule (drafted as rule 5.220.1) to align the Board’s procedures with existing city and state parental‑leave policies and to allow a member on parental leave to participate via teleconference as provided by the Brown Act. "This motion ... will amend the board rules of order to formally include a parental leave policy that mirrors state and city policy to provide the ability for members to take official leave to bond with their new children and to be supported in that role," Lowe said.
The motion’s sponsor described the change as building on prior local reforms: a 2006 charter amendment that allowed limited teleconferencing and a 2021 ordinance that placed parental‑leave provisions into the Administrative Code. Lowe said the 2006 Brown Act teleconferencing requirements required public disclosure of remote locations and that this posed privacy and safety concerns. She also said that state and federal reforms remain incomplete and that the committee should continue to press for broader changes.
Acting Chair Supervisor Steven Sherrill moved to send the motion to the full Board with a positive recommendation; the committee recorded aye votes from President Mandelmann and Chair Cheryl (Sherrill presided as acting chair) and excused Supervisor Walton. The clerk noted items acted upon would appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda of April 8, 2025, unless otherwise stated.
No members of the public spoke on the item during the committee hearing. The committee record shows the motion will be transmitted to the full board as a committee report for consideration at a future meeting.
