Q: Are there other task forces like the San Francisco Sunshine Task Force in other jurisdictions? A: Each municipality’s Sunshine Laws, if they have them, are unique, although they often inspire each other.  If you are facing an access issue in a particular area, it is probably best to determine whether the local government has enacted a Sunshine or Open Government Ordinance first.  Then, determine if there is a Task Force or another special appeals

Q: Help me understand the Police Bill of Rights and how these laws impact transparency and constitutional policing reform. A: In 1976, California adopted “the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights Act,” Govt. Code § 3300-13, which provides peace officers with certain substantive and procedural protections. Perhaps most significantly, the Act establishes limits on how officers may be questioned, investigated, and disciplined. Such laws have been criticized for making it excessively difficult to discipline

Q: Please explain how the Brown Act applies to “ad hoc” versus “standing” committees of municipal government-appointed commissions. As a threshold matter, California’s Ralph M. Brown Act applies to any committee of a legislative body that is empowered to make decisions, rather than simply advise.  It is only advisory committees that may be exempt from the Brown Act. See Gov. Code section 54952(a)-(b). As to advisory committees, the Brown Act applies to “standing committees,” but not to “ad hoc