SB 702: Legislative and gubernatorial appointments: report.

Existing law establishes various boards and commissions in state government with specified duties and responsibilities. Existing law generally provides for legislative oversight of state board formation, which includes, among other things, any administrative or regulatory board, commission, and committee, whose members are appointed by the Governor, the Legislature, or both. Existing law requires the Governor to appoint every officer whose mode of appointment is not prescribed by law.

This bill would require the office of the Governor, commencing January 1, 2027, to maintain on its internet website a list of each state board and commission and the membership list, stated purpose, duties, meeting frequency, internet website, and vacancies in the membership for each board or commission. The bill would require the office of the Governor, on or before January 31, 2028, and annually on January 31 thereafter, to create and publish on its internet website a report containing aggregate demographic information, as defined, of appointments made by the office during the prior calendar year, as specified.

The bill would require the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, commencing January 1, 2027, to maintain on their respective internet websites, or to include a link on their respective internet websites to any available resources that contain, a list of each state board or commission that each house has appointment authority over and the membership list, stated purpose, duties, meeting frequency, internet website, and any vacancies in the membership for that board or commission. The bill would also require the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, on or before January 31, 2028, and annually on January 31 thereafter, to publish on their respective internet websites, to the extent available, aggregate demographic information, as defined, on their respective legislative appointments, made during the prior calendar year, as specified. The bill would require the aggregate demographic information to only include legislative appointments created by statute, and prohibit the information from including ex officio appointments of members of the Senate and the Assembly.

The bill would require the above-described published aggregate demographic information on gubernatorial or legislative appointments to, among other things, be published on the respective entity’s internet websites in a prescribed manner for purposes of ensuring the anonymity of the appointed individuals.