SUBJECT
Title
AMENDMENTS TO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS RULES OF PROCEDURE TO COMPLY WITH SB 707 AND UPDATE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROVISIONS (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
On October 3, 2025, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 707 (Durazo), which enacted significant amendments to the Ralph M. Brown Act. These changes aim to modernize public meeting laws, expand access and participation, and address the evolving use of technology in local governance.
This item proposes making certain amendments to the Board’s Rules of Procedure to comply with SB 707 that addresses remote participation connectivity compliance, as well as other changes required by state law.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Adopt a resolution entitled RESOLUTION AMENDING THE RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS that amends certain rules to comply with state laws (Attachment 1).
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The County of San Diego (County) prioritizes transparency and accessibility to improve public understanding of how the County operates and participation in shaping future priorities. These efforts towards accessibility are particularly important to reach those communities that have been previously disconnected from the County civic process. The County continues to ensure that the diverse voices of the community can be heard in an equitable and civilized manner, and as such, can provide input that is vital to a healthy democratic institution.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
The analysis provides options for the Board to enhance stakeholder participation to plan for community engagement and identify meaningful ways to continually seek input to foster inclusive and sustainable communities.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with these recommendations. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
On October 3, 2025, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 707 (Durazo), which enacted significant amendments to the Ralph M. Brown Act. SB 707 requires that members of the public be provided an opportunity to comment at Board of Supervisors meetings through remote two-way participation (e.g., telephone or video conferencing) for all regular meetings, unless an exemption applies. This requirement has been reflected in the Board’s Rules of Procedure since 2021, and the Clerk of the Board has offered public comment by telephone since March 2020.
SB 707 mandates that the Board adopt a policy to address disruptions in remote participation services. If a disruption occurs, the meeting must recess for at least one hour while restoration efforts are made. A roll call vote is required to resume the meeting if reasonable efforts were made to restore service and continuing the meeting serves the public interest.
SB 707 also requires the County to implement the following language interpretation and translation requirements at meetings and for the published agenda:
• The proposed revisions to the Rules specify that the Board Chamber’s Observation Balcony will be available for individuals providing or receiving interpretation, support the use of personal devices such as phones or headsets, and facilitate connections to outside interpretation services for other languages. Interpretation must not interrupt the meeting, consistent with Government Code Section 54957.95.
• Additionally, the proposed revisions implement the requirement that published Board of Supervisors agendas be translated into Spanish and any additional languages spoken by at least 20% of residents who speak English less than “very well.” For this calculation, SB 707 requires the County to look at whether any language is spoken by 20% or more of the applicable population (using data from the most recent American Community Survey). If a language meets that threshold, then the County looks at whether 20% or more of that language group speaks English less than “very well.” For San Diego County, this data shows that 25% of the population speaks Spanish, with 35.6% of that population speaking English less than “very well.” Therefore, this requires the Board of Supervisors agendas to be translated into Spanish. This mandate applies from July 1, 2026 through July 1, 2030. The Clerk of the Board of Supervisors will review this data annually to assess whether any additional languages are required.
Finally, minor revisions are proposed to align with current technology used for constituents to request to speak.
These changes ensure compliance with state law, enhance public access and participation, and improve meeting efficiency. They also promote inclusivity by supporting language interpretation and modernizing procedures to reflect current technology.
All proposed changes are reflected in Rule 4 and are intended to strengthen transparency and accessibility in Board meetings.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
The proposed action supports the Strategic Initiative of Community Engagement in the County of San Diego’s 2026-2031 Strategic Plan by providing information, programs, public forums or other avenues that increase access for individuals or communities to use their voice, their vote, and their experience to impact change.
Respectfully submitted,
ebony n. shelton
Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment 1: Resolution Amending the Board’s Rules of Procedure