California's Brown Act Modernization requires sweeping changes to how local governments publish agendas, host meetings, and serve multilingual communities. The clock is ticking.
The most significant update to California's open meeting laws in decades.
Senate Bill 707, signed by Governor Newsom on October 3, 2025, modernizes the Ralph M. Brown Act to address how local governments use digital platforms and conduct meetings in an increasingly connected world.
The bill introduces comprehensive requirements for city websites, multilingual agenda publication, hybrid meeting accessibility, and public engagement — ensuring that all Californians can meaningfully participate in local government regardless of language or location.
Enhanced requirements apply specifically to city councils (not planning commissions or other bodies), unless the city council elects to extend compliance to additional bodies.
SB 707 defines "eligible legislative bodies" that must meet enhanced digital requirements.
All California city councils are subject to the enhanced website and meeting requirements under SB 707.
County boards of supervisors must comply with the same digital platform and accessibility mandates.
City councils may elect to extend enhanced requirements to planning commissions and other advisory bodies.
Multiple overlapping deadlines mean cities must act now to avoid penalties.
Cities with 50,000+ population must ensure all web content meets WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. This is a federal requirement that intersects with SB 707's digital mandates.
All eligible legislative bodies must comply with website requirements, multilingual agenda publication, hybrid meeting standards, and public comment policies.
Following the July 1 effective date, advocacy groups and members of the public may begin testing compliance and filing complaints.
Cities should have fully operational systems including ongoing translation workflows, captioning services, and documented disruption protocols.
All California local agencies must migrate to .gov domains under AB 1637, adding another digital transformation requirement on top of SB 707.
SB 707 mandates specific digital infrastructure that most city websites currently lack.
A dedicated webpage for each eligible legislative body listing upcoming and past meetings, accessible from the city homepage.
Meeting agendas must be translated into all applicable languages (20% LEP threshold). Note: agenda packets and minutes are explicitly excluded.
A mechanism for the public to request agendas in specific languages and be notified when translations are available.
An online form or system allowing members of the public to submit written comments on agenda items before or during meetings.
Video and/or audio recordings of meetings must be posted online within a reasonable time after the meeting concludes.
All digital content must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, ensuring usability for people with disabilities including screen reader compatibility.
What must appear on your city's homepage under SB 707.
Section 54953.4 of the bill explicitly requires a link to the public meetings webpage from the city's homepage. This isn't a suggestion — it's a legal mandate.
Most city websites currently bury meeting information two or three clicks deep. SB 707 demands that this information be immediately accessible to any visitor.
Our meeting widget can be embedded directly on your homepage to satisfy these requirements with a single line of code.
Understanding what must and must not be translated under SB 707.
Translation is required for "applicable languages" — defined as languages spoken by a limited English proficiency (LEP) population that comprises 20% or more of the population served by the legislative body.
Liability protection: The bill provides that cities cannot be sued over the accuracy of translations or for failures in outreach efforts, provided good-faith compliance is demonstrated.
SB 707 ensures remote participants have equal access and ability to engage.
Remote participants must be able to see and hear the meeting in real time, and the body must be able to see and hear remote participants during public comment.
Real-time captioning must be provided for hybrid meetings, ensuring accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing participants whether attending in person or remotely.
Cities must adopt a formal policy for handling disruptions during hybrid meetings, including clear protocols for muting, removing, and warning participants.
Check off items to track your city's SB 707 readiness. Your progress is saved locally.
Failing to meet SB 707 requirements exposes your city to significant legal and operational risks.
Decisions made at non-compliant meetings may be challenged and invalidated, requiring costly re-hearings and delaying critical city business.
Successful plaintiffs in Brown Act enforcement cases are entitled to recover attorney's fees, which can quickly reach tens of thousands of dollars per case.
Non-compliance signals that your city isn't committed to transparency and inclusion, damaging community trust and media perception.
End-to-end SB 707 compliance services designed specifically for California cities.
Comprehensive review of your current website, meeting practices, and digital infrastructure against all SB 707 requirements with a detailed gap analysis.
Our embeddable widget adds a compliant public meetings page to your existing website — with multilingual agendas, comment forms, and agenda request tools built in.
Automated and human-reviewed translation workflow for meeting agendas into all applicable languages, with notification system for requestors.
WCAG 2.1 AA audit and remediation of your city's website to meet both ADA Title II and SB 707 digital accessibility requirements.
Technology assessment, equipment recommendations, captioning integration, and staff training for compliant hybrid meeting operations.
Draft disruption policies, public comment procedures, and staff training programs to ensure your team is confident and prepared.
Find out exactly where your city stands on SB 707 readiness. No obligation, no sales pressure.
With the July 1, 2026 deadline approaching, cities that start early have the best chance of achieving compliance without costly last-minute scrambles. Our assessment identifies your gaps and provides a prioritized roadmap.