(a) Before a districting body adopts new election district boundaries, including when a local jurisdiction redistricts following the federal decennial census or between federal decennial censuses, but not including when a legislative body transitions from being elected at-large to elected by districts or from districts, the local jurisdiction shall hold at least one workshop before the districting body draws a draft map or maps of the proposed election district boundaries and the districting body shall hold public hearings, as specified by this section, at which the public is invited to provide input regarding the composition of one or more neighborhoods, communities of interest, or election districts.

(b) For purposes of this chapter, a workshop is a standalone meeting which is conducted by either a local jurisdiction’s staff, a consultant hired by the local jurisdiction, or by one or more members of the districting body but fewer than a majority of the members of the districting body. At each workshop, the local jurisdiction shall provide the public with information on the redistricting process, information on how the public may provide public comment, and instructions on how to use an online mapping tool to create draft maps or community of interest maps, if applicable. Local jurisdictions may, and are encouraged to, assist the public in drawing and submitting draft maps at the workshop. All submitted draft maps and an oral summary that characterizes the number and nature of the public comments received at the workshop concerning the proposed boundaries of a neighborhood, community of interest, or election district shall be presented to the districting body at the next public hearing.

(c) This subdivision applies to special districts and small education districts.

(1) After drawing a draft map or maps, the districting body shall hold at least two public hearings. This subdivision does not prevent a districting body from holding a public hearing before drawing a draft map or maps.

(d) This subdivision applies to counties, cities, school districts, community college districts, and county offices of education that are not a small education district.

(1) Before the districting body draws a draft map or maps of the proposed election district boundaries, the districting body shall hold at least two public hearings.

(2) After drawing a draft map or maps, a districting body shall hold at least three public hearings.

(e) (1) In lieu of the districting body, an advisory redistricting commission that complies with Section 23002 may hold the public hearings required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (d). An advisory redistricting commission may draw draft maps and hold public hearings to consider draft maps, but those public hearings shall not fulfill the districting body’s responsibility to hold public hearings under paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) or paragraph (2) of subdivision (d).

(2) In lieu of the districting body, a hybrid redistricting commission, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 23000, may hold the public hearings required by subdivisions (c) and (d) of this section.

(3) A public hearing held by an advisory or hybrid redistricting commission pursuant to this subdivision shall comply with the requirements of this section that would apply to the hearing if the hearing were held by the districting body.

(f) At least two workshops or public hearings shall be held on a Saturday, on a Sunday, or after 6 p.m. on a weekday.

(g) The building in which a workshop or public hearing is held shall be accessible to persons with disabilities.

(h) To promote the accessibility of the public hearings, the districting body shall permit the public to attend and provide live public comment at each public hearing both in-person and remotely, which should include providing an accessible and clearly audible call-in or internet-based service option. Notwithstanding any other law, the districting body shall not be required to provide a physical location from which the public may remotely provide public comment at a public hearing and the districting body shall not require that the public go to a physical location to remotely provide public comment.

(i) If a public hearing is consolidated with a regular or special meeting of the districting body that includes other substantive agenda items, the public hearing shall begin at a fixed time regardless of its order on the agenda, except that the districting body may first conclude any item being discussed or acted upon, including any associated public comment, when that time occurs. The time of the public hearing shall be noticed to the public.

(j) Consistent with the Ralph M. Brown Act (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code), the districting body may reasonably limit an individual’s speaking time at a public hearing. The total amount of time available for all public comment at a public hearing shall not be limited to less than two hours; however, the public comment period may end before two hours if every person desiring to provide public comment has done so.

(k) Subdivisions (f) to (h), inclusive, do not apply to special districts or small education districts.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 343, Sec. 14. (AB 764) Effective January 1, 2024.)