Section 54952.2 Of Chapter 9. Meetings From California Government Code >> Division 2. >> Title 5. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 9.
54952.2
. (a) As used in this chapter, "meeting" means any
congregation of a majority of the members of a legislative body at
the same time and location, including teleconference location as
permitted by Section 54953, to hear, discuss, deliberate, or take
action on any item that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of
the legislative body.
(b) (1) A majority of the members of a legislative body shall not,
outside a meeting authorized by this chapter, use a series of
communications of any kind, directly or through intermediaries, to
discuss, deliberate, or take action on any item of business that is
within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body.
(2) Paragraph (1) shall not be construed as preventing an employee
or official of a local agency, from engaging in separate
conversations or communications outside of a meeting authorized by
this chapter with members of a legislative body in order to answer
questions or provide information regarding a matter that is within
the subject matter jurisdiction of the local agency, if that person
does not communicate to members of the legislative body the comments
or position of any other member or members of the legislative body.
(c) Nothing in this section shall impose the requirements of this
chapter upon any of the following:
(1) Individual contacts or conversations between a member of a
legislative body and any other person that do not violate subdivision
(b).
(2) The attendance of a majority of the members of a legislative
body at a conference or similar gathering open to the public that
involves a discussion of issues of general interest to the public or
to public agencies of the type represented by the legislative body,
provided that a majority of the members do not discuss among
themselves, other than as part of the scheduled program, business of
a specified nature that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of
the local agency. Nothing in this paragraph is intended to allow
members of the public free admission to a conference or similar
gathering at which the organizers have required other participants or
registrants to pay fees or charges as a condition of attendance.
(3) The attendance of a majority of the members of a legislative
body at an open and publicized meeting organized to address a topic
of local community concern by a person or organization other than the
local agency, provided that a majority of the members do not discuss
among themselves, other than as part of the scheduled program,
business of a specific nature that is within the subject matter
jurisdiction of the legislative body of the local agency.
(4) The attendance of a majority of the members of a legislative
body at an open and noticed meeting of another body of the local
agency, or at an open and noticed meeting of a legislative body of
another local agency, provided that a majority of the members do not
discuss among themselves, other than as part of the scheduled
meeting, business of a specific nature that is within the subject
matter jurisdiction of the legislative body of the local agency.
(5) The attendance of a majority of the members of a legislative
body at a purely social or ceremonial occasion, provided that a
majority of the members do not discuss among themselves business of a
specific nature that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of
the legislative body of the local agency.
(6) The attendance of a majority of the members of a legislative
body at an open and noticed meeting of a standing committee of that
body, provided that the members of the legislative body who are not
members of the standing committee attend only as observers.