Government Code section 54953.8.5
(a)
An eligible community college student organization may conduct a teleconference meeting pursuant to Section 54953.8, provided that it complies with the requirements of that section and all of the following additional requirements:(1)
An eligible community college student organization may only use teleconferencing as described in Section 54953.8 after all the following have occurred:(A)
The board of trustees for a community college district considers whether to adopt a resolution to authorize eligible community college student organizations to use teleconferencing as described in this section at an open and regular meeting.(B)
If the board of trustees for a community college district adopts a resolution described in subparagraph (A), an eligible community college student organization may elect to use teleconferencing pursuant to this section if a majority of the eligible community college student organization votes to do so. The eligible community college student organization shall notify the board of trustees if it elects to use teleconferencing pursuant to this section and its justification for doing so.(C)
Upon receiving notification from an eligible community college student organization as described in subparagraph (B), the board of trustees may adopt a resolution to prohibit the eligible community college student organization from using teleconferencing pursuant to this section.(D)
(i)Except as specified in clause (ii), at least a quorum of the members of the eligible community college student organization shall participate from a singular physical location that is accessible to the public and is within the community college district in which the eligible community college student organization is established.(ii)
The requirements described in clause (i) shall not apply to the California Online Community College.(I)
The person is under 18 years of age.(II)
The person is incarcerated.(ia)
The person has been issued a protective court order, including, but not limited to, a domestic violence restraining order.(ib)
The person is participating in a program that has to remain confidential, including, but not limited to, an independent living program.(IV)
The person provides childcare or caregiving to a child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse, or domestic partner that requires them to participate remotely. For purposes of this subclause, “child,” “parent,” “grandparent,” “grandchild,” and “sibling” have the same meaning as those terms are defined in Section 12945.2.(2)
An eligible community college student organization that holds a meeting by teleconference as described in Section 54953.8 shall do the following, as applicable:(A)
(i)Except as specified in subparagraph (B), if the meeting is during regular business hours of the offices of the board of trustees of the community college district, the eligible community college student organization shall provide a publicly accessible physical location from which the public may attend or comment, which shall be the offices of the board of trustees of the community college district, unless the eligible community college student organization identifies an alternative location.(ii)
Except as specified in subparagraph (B), if the meeting is outside regular business hours, the eligible community college student organization shall make reasonable efforts to accommodate any member of the public that requests an accommodation to participate in the meeting. For the purposes of this subparagraph, “accommodation” means providing a publicly accessible physical location for the member of the public to participate from, providing access to technology necessary to participate in the meeting, or identifying locations or resources available that could provide the member of the public with an opportunity to participate in the meeting.(B)
The requirements described in subparagraph (A) shall not apply to the California Online Community College.(b)
For purposes of this section, “eligible community college student organization” means a student body association organized pursuant to Section 76060 of the Education Code, or any other student-run community college organization that is required to comply with the meeting requirements of this chapter, that is in any community college recognized within the California Community Colleges system and includes the Student Senate for California Community Colleges.(c)
This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.
Source:
Section 54953.8.5, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=54953.8.5. (updated Jan. 1, 2026; accessed Dec. 15, 2025).
