California SB 707: Remote Public Comment Rules Explained
California SB 707: What Local Governments Need to Know About Remote Public Comment
Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Consult your agency’s legal counsel before adopting or changing meeting policies.
If your city council, county board, or special district is in California, residents now have a legal right to join many public meetings by phone and speak in real time.
SB 707 updated the Brown Act, California’s open meetings law. Starting July 1, 2026, larger public bodies must offer a two-way telephone or audiovisual option so residents can attend and comment remotely. SB 1187 trimmed other requirements on September 18, 2026, but kept the remote attendance and call-in rules.
How SB 1187 Changed SB 707
SB 1187 removed four requirements but kept the ones that affect how residents attend and comment.
| Removed by SB 1187 | Late November or December |
| Translating meeting agendas into applicable languages | Remote public attendance through a two-way telephonic or audiovisual option |
| Assisting residents who arrange their own interpretation | Real-time remote public comment with equal time |
| An electronic system for agenda and document requests | A technology disruption policy |
| A dedicated, accessible public meetings webpage | Reasonable outreach to groups that don't traditionally participate |
Agencies may still offer the removed services, and other language access or accessibility laws may apply.
Who Does SB 707 Apply To?
Parts of SB 707 apply to every body covered by the Brown Act. The remote public comment requirements apply only to “eligible legislative bodies”:
- City councils of cities with 30,000 or more residents
- County boards of supervisors in counties (or cities and counties) with 30,000 or more residents
- City councils of cities inside counties with 600,000 or more residents
- Boards of special districts that have an official website and meet one of these thresholds:
- The district covers an entire county of 600,000 or more residents and has more than 200 full-time equivalent employees
- The district has more than 1,000 full-time equivalent employees
- The district has more than 200 full-time equivalent employees and annual revenue above $400 million (adjusted for inflation starting January 1, 2027)
Your legal counsel can confirm whether your body qualifies.
SB 707 Key Dates
| Date | What Happened |
| October 3, 2025 | SB 707 signed into law |
| January 1, 2026 | Most Brown Act updates take effect, including teleconferencing changes |
| July 1, 2026 | Remote public comment and outreach requirements take effect for eligible legislative bodies |
| September 18, 2026 | SB 1187 signed and takes effect immediately |
| January 1, 2030 | Eligible-body requirements are set to expire unless extended |
What SB 707 Still Requires of Eligible Legislative Bodies
- A remote attendance option. Residents must be able to attend by two-way phone or video, with limited exceptions. Video platforms must also offer a call-in option and turn on any built-in captioning.
- Real-time public comment with equal time. Remote participants can comment live and get the same time as in-person speakers.
- A technology disruption policy. Required by July 1, 2026. If an outage cuts off remote access, the body must recess for at least an hour and try to restore service. Continuing without it requires a roll call finding.
- Outreach to groups that don’t usually participate. Bodies must make reasonable efforts to invite residents who don’t usually attend, such as through media, civic, neighborhood, and community groups, including those serving non-English speakers.
Bottom line: an unreliable call-in line can pause a meeting for an hour and open the agency to a Brown Act challenge.
How Call-In Public Comment Works
Telephone town hall technology was built for this: large numbers of people listening by phone and speaking live when it’s their turn.
A typical setup:
- The agency publishes a call-in number with the agenda and meeting notice.
- Residents dial in and hear the meeting live, the same as people in the room.
- Callers who want to comment press a key to join the queue.
- Staff bring callers on live during public comment, with the same time limit as in-person speakers.
- The meeting can also stream online with captioning.
A phone line also reaches residents without reliable internet or a computer, whether they call from a landline, a basic cell phone, or the car.
How Broadnet Supports Remote Public Participation
Broadnet has connected federal, state, and local governments with the public by phone for more than 20 years.
Access Live for two-way call-in and live comment. Access Live is Broadnet’s telephone town hall platform. Residents dial in to listen and join a queue to comment, and staff can screen callers or take them live. Access Live also offers streaming, captioning, and live polling.
A dedicated Event Specialist on every event. An Event Specialist manages the technology during each event, so staff can focus on the meeting.
Outreach tools for residents who don’t usually attend. VoiceNotify announces upcoming meetings by voice, Decantr by text, and Pre-Call Invitations invite residents to join ahead of time.
Flexible options for different agencies. Per-event pricing and set-price subscriptions help agencies with regular meetings budget ahead.
Your counsel should confirm how SB 707 applies to your agency. Our team can help you set up call-in access that’s easy for residents and dependable for staff.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SB 707 require a phone option, or is video enough?
Either works, but a video platform must also offer a call-in option.
Did SB 1187 repeal SB 707?
No. SB 1187 removed the translation, interpretation, document request, and webpage requirements. The remote attendance, live comment, disruption policy, and outreach rules remain.
Can a telephone town hall be used for a city council meeting?
The same technology, including live dial-in, a comment queue, and moderated Q&A, can let residents attend and comment by phone. Confirm your setup with legal counsel.
Ready for SB 707?
Download our free checklist to confirm your agency has covered every step, from setting up call-in access to planning for outages.
Give residents a dependable way to call in and be heard.
Talk with a Broadnet Account Manager about setting up call-in public comment for your meetings.
Disclaimer: This content is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Broadnet does not guarantee compliance with SB 707 or any other law. Consult your agency’s legal counsel before adopting or changing meeting policies.
