Second Substitute S.B. 169

Senator Deidre M. Henderson proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
PUBLIC MEETINGS MATERIALS REQUIREMENTS

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Deidre M. Henderson

             5     
House Sponsor: Steve Eliason

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies a provision of the Open and Public Meetings Act.
             10      Highlighted Provisions:
             11          This bill:
             12          .    defines "electronic information";
             13          .    requires certain public bodies to require an individual who publicly presents or
             14      provides electronic information at an open meeting of the public body to provide an
             15      electronic or hard copy of the electronic information.
             16      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             17          None
             18      Other Special Clauses:
             19          None
             20      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             21      AMENDS:
             22           52-4-203 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 63
             23     
             24      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             25          Section 1. Section 52-4-203 is amended to read:


             26           52-4-203. Written minutes of open meetings -- Public records -- Recording of
             27      meetings.
             28          (1) Except as provided under Subsection (7), written minutes and a recording shall be
             29      kept of all open meetings.
             30          (2) Written minutes of an open meeting shall include:
             31          (a) the date, time, and place of the meeting;
             32          (b) the names of members present and absent;
             33          (c) the substance of all matters proposed, discussed, or decided by the public body
             34      which may include a summary of comments made by members of the public body;
             35          (d) a record, by individual member, of each vote taken by the public body;
             36          (e) the name of each person who:
             37          (i) is not a member of the public body; and
             38          (ii) after being recognized by the presiding member of the public body, provided
             39      testimony or comments to the public body;
             40          (f) the substance, in brief, of the testimony or comments provided by the public under
             41      Subsection (2)(e); and
             42          (g) any other information that is a record of the proceedings of the meeting that any
             43      member requests be entered in the minutes or recording.
             44          (3) A recording of an open meeting shall:
             45          (a) be a complete and unedited record of all open portions of the meeting from the
             46      commencement of the meeting through adjournment of the meeting; and
             47          (b) be properly labeled or identified with the date, time, and place of the meeting.
             48          (4) (a) As used in this Subsection (4):
             49          (i) "Approved minutes" means written minutes:
             50          (A) of an open meeting; and
             51          (B) that have been approved by the public body that held the open meeting.
             52          (ii) "Electronic information" means information presented or provided in an electronic
             53      format.
             54          [(ii)] (iii) "Pending minutes" means written minutes:
             55          (A) of an open meeting; and
             56          (B) that have been prepared in draft form and are subject to change before being


             57      approved by the public body that held the open meeting.
             58          [(iii)] (iv) "Specified local public body" means a legislative body of a county, city, or
             59      town.
             60          [(iv)] (v) "State public body" means a public body that is an administrative, advisory,
             61      executive, or legislative body of the state.
             62          [(v)] (vi) "Website" means the Utah Public Notice Website created under Section
             63      63F-1-701 .
             64          (b) Pending minutes, approved minutes, and a recording of a public meeting are public
             65      records under Title 63G, Chapter 2, Government Records Access and Management Act.
             66          (c) Pending minutes shall contain a clear indication that the public body has not yet
             67      approved the minutes or that the minutes are subject to change until the public body approves
             68      them.
             69          (d) A state public body and a specified local public body shall require an individual
             70      who publicly presents or provides electronic information at an open meeting of the public body
             71      to provide the public body, at the time of the meeting, an electronic or hard copy of the
             72      electronic information for inclusion in the public record.
             73          [(d)] (e) A state public body shall:
             74          (i) make pending minutes available to the public within 30 days after holding the open
             75      meeting that is the subject of the pending minutes;
             76          (ii) within three business days after approving written minutes of an open meeting, post
             77      to the website and make available to the public at the public body's primary office a copy of the
             78      approved minutes and any public materials distributed at the meeting; and
             79          (iii) within three business days after holding an open meeting, post on the website an
             80      audio recording of the open meeting, or a link to the recording.
             81          [(e)] (f) (i) A specified local public body shall:
             82          (A) make pending minutes available to the public within 30 days after holding the open
             83      meeting that is the subject of the pending minutes;
             84          (B) subject to Subsection (4)[(e)](f)(ii), within three business days after approving
             85      written minutes of an open meeting, post to the website and make available to the public at the
             86      public body's primary office a copy of the approved minutes and any public materials
             87      distributed at the meeting; and


             88          (C) within three business days after holding an open meeting, make an audio recording
             89      of the open meeting available to the public for listening.
             90          (ii) A specified local public body of a city of the fifth class or town is encouraged to
             91      comply with Subsection (4)[(e)](f)(i)(B) but is not required to comply until January 1, 2015.
             92          [(f)] (g) A public body that is not a state public body or a specified local public body
             93      shall:
             94          (i) make pending minutes available to the public within a reasonable time after holding
             95      the open meeting that is the subject of the pending minutes;
             96          (ii) within three business days after approving written minutes, make the approved
             97      minutes available to the public; and
             98          (iii) within three business days after holding an open meeting, make an audio recording
             99      of the open meeting available to the public for listening.
             100          [(g)] (h) A public body shall establish and implement procedures for the public body's
             101      approval of the written minutes of each meeting.
             102          [(h)] (i) Approved minutes of an open meeting are the official record of the meeting.
             103          (5) All or any part of an open meeting may be independently recorded by any person in
             104      attendance if the recording does not interfere with the conduct of the meeting.
             105          (6) The written minutes or recording of an open meeting that are required to be
             106      retained permanently shall be maintained in or converted to a format that meets long-term
             107      records storage requirements.
             108          (7) Notwithstanding Subsection (1), a recording is not required to be kept of:
             109          (a) an open meeting that is a site visit or a traveling tour, if no vote or action is taken
             110      by the public body; or
             111          (b) an open meeting of a local district under Title 17B, Limited Purpose Local
             112      Government Entities - Local Districts, or special service district under Title 17D, Chapter 1,
             113      Special Service District Act, if the district's annual budgeted expenditures for all funds,
             114      excluding capital expenditures and debt service, are $50,000 or less.


[Bill Documents][Bills Directory]