BILL NUMBER: AB 435INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Chang FEBRUARY 19, 2015 An act to add Sections 12805.4 and 12812.4 to the Government Code, relating to state government. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 435, as introduced, Chang. California Environmental Protection Agency: Natural Resources Agency: Web casts of public meetings and workshops. Existing law establishes the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources Agency as agencies in the state government. Existing law, the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, generally requires that all meetings of a state body be open and public. This bill would require that each department, board, and commission of the Natural Resources Agency and each department, board, and office of the California Environmental Protection Agency Web cast all public meetings and workshops, in a manner that enables listeners and viewers to ask questions and provide public comment by telephone or email commensurate with those attending the meeting or workshop. The bill would require the agencies to archive the recording of a Web cast for subsequent reasonable viewing by interested members of the public. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 12805.4 is added to the Government Code, to read: 12805.4. (a) For purposes of this section, "Web cast" means a media presentation distributed over the Internet using live streaming media technology to distribute content to listeners and viewers. (b) Each department, board, and commission of the Natural Resources Agency shall Web cast all public meetings and workshops in a manner that enables listeners and viewers to ask questions and provide public comment by telephone or email commensurate with those persons attending the meeting or workshop. The agency shall archive the recording of a Web cast for subsequent reasonable viewing by interested members of the public. (c) The requirements of subdivision (b) do not apply to a conservancy or the California Science Center. This subdivision does not limit the authority of the agency to Web cast meetings or workshops of a conservancy or the California Science Center. SEC. 2. Section 12812.4 is added to the Government Code, to read: 12812.4. (a) For purposes of this section, "Web cast" means a media presentation distributed over the Internet using live streaming media technology to distribute content to listeners and viewers. (b) Each department, board, and office of the California Environmental Protection Agency shall Web cast all public meetings and workshops in a manner that enables listeners and viewers to ask questions and provide public comment by telephone or email commensurate with those persons attending the meeting or workshop. The agency shall archive the recording of a Web cast for subsequent reasonable viewing by interested members of the public. (c) The deputy secretary for external affairs shall be responsible for implementation of this section.