CalSTRS board governance committee adopts chair-led remote participation rule

The California State Teachers' Retirement System Board Governance Committee voted to adopt updated language that clarifies how remote participation by trustees will be handled under the Bagley-Keene Act.

In the motion approved by the committee, trustees adopted provisions stating that "remote participation may be allowed in accordance with Bagley Keene," and that authority to determine whether remote participation is appropriate will rest with the committee chair. The vote was taken by roll call; Miss Perrault, Mister Tang, Miss Yamamoto, Miss Bradford and Miss Sanders voted in favor, Mister Henning voted no, and the motion passed.

Why it matters: the update aims to reconcile the board's internal meeting administration policy with post-pandemic interpretations of the Bagley-Keene Act, which requires consideration of physical locations, public accessibility and ADA compliance when members participate remotely. Proponents said the change offers needed flexibility while preserving public access.

"Remote participation may be allowed in accordance with Bagley Keene, and it's up to the discretion of the chair," said the General Counsel during the discussion, explaining the drafting approach and the board governance consultant's input.

Board members raised questions about how other boards are handling modified hybrid arrangements and whether future statutory changes could alter the approach. One trustee who participates remotely described some technical limitations of current systems and asked the committee to monitor Bagley-Keene developments closely.

The committee approved the language at first reading and voted to adopt the changes immediately rather than returning the item for a later meeting. The measure will be reflected in the board governance manual and applied when trustees request remote participation.

The committee then proceeded with its agenda and moved on to informational items and consent matters.