Page 36 - 2026 Lozano Smith Brown Act Handbook

Assistance may include any of the following: (i) arranging space for one or more
interpreters at the meeting location; (ii) allowing extra time during the meeting for interpretation
to occur; (iii) ensuring that participants may utilize their personal equipment or reasonably
access facilities for participants to access commercially available interpretation services. The
legislative body is not responsible for the content or accuracy of any interpretation it facilitated
and may not be sued over the content or accuracy. The legislative body must publicize
instructions on how to request translation assistance.

(Government Code § 54953(b)(2).)

b. Translation of Agendas and Webpage. The agenda for each eligible
legislative body meeting must be translated into applicable languages and posted in the same
manner as the English version. The agenda does not include the entire agenda packet. A
translation made using a digital translation service will satisfy these requirements. Members of
the public must also be allowed to post additional translations of the agenda at a physical
location in reasonable proximity to the posting location of the English and translated versions.

Applicable languages mean those spoken by at least 20% of the relevant
population with limited English proficiency. Specified criteria are provided for determining the
source for languages spoken and the population for a special district. If there are more than three
applicable languages, the agenda only needs to be translated into the three that are spoken by the
largest population.

The eligible local agency’s accessible internet webpage must also be translated
into all applicable languages, and each translation accessible through a prominent direct link
posted on the primary internet website home page of the local agency.

The local agency is not responsible, and may not be sued, for the content or
accuracy of any translation provided or agenda posted by a member of the public.

(Government Code § 54953(c).)

c. Encourage Public Participation. SB 707 requires eligible legislative
bodies to encourage public participation at meetings. The provisions are applicable to the same
size agencies required to provide remote public participation and translation services. SB 707
places heavy emphasis on reaching underrepresented communities and non-English-speaking
communities.

Eligible legislative bodies must have in place a system for electronically
accepting and fulfilling requests for meeting agendas and documents through email or through an
integrated agenda management platform. Information about how to make a request using this
system must be accessible through a prominent direct link posted on the primary internet website
home page of the agency.

Such local agencies must create and maintain an accessible internet webpage
dedicated to public meetings that includes, or provides, a link to, all of the following
information. The webpage must be linked to the agency’s website home page.

24 LozanoSmith.com 2026 Brown Act Handbook