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City attorney outlines SB 707 Brown Act changes; Los Banos must add hybrid access and Spanish translations by July 1
Summary
City Attorney Mary Lerner told the Los Banos council that SB 707 expands teleconference rules, requires two‑way remote attendance, disruption policies, and translation where 20%+ of the population speaks a language other than English; Los Banos must translate agendas into Spanish by July 1, 2026, and adopt disruption/teleconference policies.
City Attorney Mary Lerner told the Los Banos City Council on March 18 that a sweeping update to the Brown Act — enacted as SB 707 — imposes new requirements for remote participation, outreach and language access that will affect how local meetings are run.
“The new law now requires eligible legislative bodies to offer hybrid meetings,” Lerner said. For cities that meet the statute’s definitions of “eligible legislative bodies,” the law requires two‑way teleconference participation, disruption procedures and efforts to restore service if remote access fails. Lerner urged the council to adopt an open‑session disruption policy before July 1.
Lerner also explained translation obligations tied to U.S. Census‑derived language thresholds. “For the Spanish‑speaking population, 21.6% speak English less than very well. That’s your percentage that we need to look at,” she said. For Los Banos, that triggered a translated agenda requirement: the city must make agenda materials and participation instructions available in Spanish by July 1, 2026, and provide reasonable assistance such as space for personal interpreters. Lerner noted adjustment of public‑comment time for individuals requiring interpretation (e.g., doubling a three‑minute time limit where needed).
She reviewed other bills affecting local governments — SB 827 (fiscal training), AB 339 (notice to labor organizations before contracting), SB 634 (limits on local regulation of activities related to homelessness) and AB 671 (streamlined restaurant plan approvals) — and said staff will bring policy updates to council for compliance.
Council members asked whether remote attendance must be strictly live (Lerner replied yes), how to handle disruptive remote participants and whether training and administrative policies should be scheduled; Lerner offered to present Brown Act workshops and to work with staff on teleconference and translation policies.
The briefing sets a July 1 compliance timeline for translation and teleconference policies that staff will return to the council to adopt and implement.
