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  • Handbooks

    California Brown Act Primer

    […] 2022 by Legal Fellow Monica Price, with contributions from Executive Director David Snyder and Legal Director David Loy. It was created in 2006 by James Chadwick, then of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton. Please see this 2023 addendum for an overview of open-meetings law changes that occurred since this guide was published in March 2022.

    September 8, 2024

  • Pages

    Explainers

    These posts are not intended as legal advice and do not establish an attorney-client relationship. FAC makes no promises or guarantees about the completeness or accuracy of the information posted.

    July 3, 2024

  • Asked and Answered

    Brown Act

    City Clerk requires Ad Hoc reports to be in announcements

    Why would our city clerk require city Commissions to move all ad hoc reports and standing committees from agenda items to the announcements portion of the meeting? They are not listed on the agenda unless the ad hoc specifies the exact language of the action/recommendation for our city council. Then it gets more complicated […]

    October 6, 2009

  • Pages

    Homepage

    We are now accepting nominations for our annual awards, which honor the year’s best contributions towards the advancement of open government and freedom of expression and information. See the guidelines and submit a nomination today!

    June 11, 2024

  • Pages

    Free Speech & Open Government Award

    Every year FAC recognizes outstanding accomplishment, service, or other contributions to the advancement of free expression or the people’s right to know about their government. Nominations for the 2025 awards are open. Submit a nomination here.

    July 3, 2024

  • Asked and Answered

    Brown Act

    Is a Coordinating Committee exempt from the Brown Act?

    The elected Community Advisory Group, created under the Planning Department of my County, convenes a coordinating sub-committee to review the Advisory Group's standing rules. The Coordinating Committee chairman does not follow Brown Act obligations (e.g. requirements for notice, agenda, etc.) because he maintains that the Committee is Ad Hoc. Is the Coordinating Committee subject […]

    April 19, 2016

  • Asked and Answered

    Brown Act

    Is a city’s Building Board of Appeals a standing committee?

    […] can’t anticipate meetings and approve or adopt a meeting schedule in advance. Section 94954(a) of the Brown Act requires each legislative body, except for advisory committees or standing committees, to provide the time and place for holding regular meetings. Meetings of standing committees, for which an agenda is posted at least 72 hours in […]

    August 14, 2013

  • Asked and Answered

    Brown Act

    Are school district “fact-finding” committee meetings public?

    […] numbers in the area, fiscal impact and the impact on academic programs should they close the school. It is my understanding that such a committee is an advisory committee for the district and therefore falls under the Brown Act, however at the last committee meeting the district's public information officer tried to chase me […]

    March 8, 2016

  • Asked and Answered

    Brown Act

    Are Community Action Agencies Subject to the Brown Act?

    […] body of a local agency, whether permanent or temporary, decision-making or advisory, created by charter, ordinance, resolution, or formal action of a legislative body." Government Code section 54952(b). The term "formal action" in the Act means action by the body, as opposed to action by an individual member of the body. Formal action need not […]

    October 30, 2020