The Brown Act generally requires that all meetings of a legislative body of a local agency be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend and participate. The Brown Act authorizes a legislative body to hold a closed session in specified circumstances. A legislative body may hold a closed session with the Governor, Attorney General, district attorney, agency counsel, sheriff, or chief of police, or their respective deputies, a security consultant or a security operations manager on matters posing a threat to the security of essential public services, a threat to the public’s right of access to public services or public facilities.
Assembly Bill 2715 (AB 2715) authorizes a legislative body to hold a closed session on matters posing a threat to critical infrastructure controls or critical infrastructure information relating to cybersecurity. In addition to the individuals identified above, AB 2715 also expands the individuals that the legislative body may hold the closed session with on such matters to include other law enforcement or security personnel.
(AB 2715 amends section 54957 of the Government Code)