CITY COUNCILS
Start with population.
City councils qualify when the city has 30,000 or more residents, or when the city is in a county with 600,000 or more residents.
A public meeting resource from Switchboard Live
SB707 Readiness Audit for California Public Meetings
Make your next public meeting easier to access.
Check what applies to your governing body, find the gaps, and leave with a practical action plan your team can use.
About 5 minutes · Free · No email required
Illustrative civic scene, created with AI.
A clearer path to participation.
Know what to check.
Give every next step an owner.
01 / Start with the right question
Does this apply
to your governing body?
SB707 updated California’s Brown Act, the state’s local open-meeting law. The enhanced public-access rules in Government Code § 54953.4 apply to specific “eligible legislative bodies.”
COUNTY BOARDS
Check the county.
County boards of supervisors, including a city and county, qualify at a population of 30,000 or more.
SPECIAL DISTRICTS
Look beyond residents.
A website plus specific employee, boundary, or revenue criteria determine whether a district board qualifies. The audit walks through each test.
A district serving 200,000 residents does not automatically qualify on that fact alone.
Advisory bodies and commissions need a separate analysis. A result outside these enhanced requirements does not mean exemption from the Brown Act. See § 54953.4(c).
02 / What to check
Public access is
a team responsibility.
These checks connect policy, technology, and the resident experience. Your clerk, IT team, communications staff, and counsel each have a part.
Two-way participation
Provide a two-way telephone service or a two-way audiovisual platform for covered meetings. A viewing-only livestream does not let residents give live public comment.
Phone access + captions
If you choose an audiovisual platform, publicly post and provide its call-in option. Activate automatic captioning if that function is included with the platform.
Equal comment time
Remote attendees must have an opportunity for public comment with the same time allotment as people attending in person.
A disruption procedure
Use an adopted policy for recessing, restoration attempts, and reconvening. If required remote access fails, recess and try to restore it. Reconvene after one hour or when service returns, whichever is earlier. If access remains unavailable, use the required rollcall findings.
Reasonable outreach
Make reasonable efforts to invite groups that do not traditionally participate, such as community organizations and media serving non-English-speaking communities.
These are summaries for ordinary covered meetings. Statutory exceptions and other duties require separate review. Read the requirements and exceptions in § 54953.4(b).
Your governing body
The interactive assessment requires JavaScript. Enable it to get your personalized action plan. The requirements and sources on this page remain available to read.
Where Switchboard Live fitsHelp your community
Help your community
find the meeting.
Switchboard Live distributes your existing feed to YouTube, social channels, and your municipal website, so residents can watch where they already spend time.
Your two-way meeting platform handles public participation. Your agency manages policies and accommodations. Recordings remain with destination platforms.
Multistreaming can expand viewing options. It does not replace two-way participation or the disruption procedure.
Explore Switchboard LiveYour meeting + existing feedParticipation platform and agency procedures
Switchboard LiveDistribute the feed to your viewing destinations
Municipal site
YouTube
Social channels
Viewing destinations support reach. Keep the required two-way participation route clearly signposted.
04 / Clear answers
A few things
worth getting right.
Current guidance for the questions that can turn a simple checklist into a confusing project.
Is a YouTube livestream enough?
A viewing-only broadcast does not provide two-way public participation. Eligible bodies need the required telephone or audiovisual participation route, including live public comment.
Do we have to wait a full hour if service comes back?
The open session may reconvene when service is restored or after one hour, whichever is earlier. If service is still unavailable on reconvening, the body must adopt the required findings by rollcall vote.
Does SB707 still require translated agendas?
SB1187 removed that SB707 requirement effective September 18, 2026. Broader language-access duties and local policies may still apply. Confirm those separately with counsel.
Does a completed audit prove compliance?
This is a focused, self-reported readiness check. Use the findings to gather evidence, coordinate your team, and discuss questions with agency counsel. It is not a legal determination.
05 / Put your findings to work
Let’s look at your
meeting setup.
Book a free streaming assessment with Switchboard Live. Bring your action plan and we’ll discuss your livestream distribution, viewing destinations, and next steps.
See available timesScheduling is provided by Google. Open booking in a new tab.
Sources + further reading
- SB1187, Chapter 324 (2026): current amended § 54953.4
- SB707, Chapter 327 (2025): original legislation
- Municipal-law analysis: what SB1187 repealed
- How Switchboard Live helps communities find your livestreams
Published and sources reviewed October 14, 2026. Publisher: Switchboard Live. This page focuses on enhanced public-access requirements under § 54953.4, not every Brown Act provision.
Educational information, not legal advice or a certification of compliance. Confirm current requirements and local policies with agency counsel. Section 54953.4 is scheduled to sunset January 1, 2030 unless changed by subsequent legislation.