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H.B. 16 Enrolled

             1     

REVISIONS TO OPEN AND PUBLIC
             2      MEETINGS LAW
             3      2006 GENERAL SESSION
             4      STATE OF UTAH
             5      Chief Sponsor: Glenn A. Donnelson
             6      Senate Sponsor: Parley G. Hellewell
             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill modifies the Open and Public Meetings Act by amending certain provisions.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    defines "recording" to mean an audio, or an audio and video, record of the
             14      proceedings of a meeting that can be used to review the proceedings of the meeting;
             15          .    encourages public bodies to use electronic means to:
             16              .    provide public notice to media agencies that make a periodic written request to
             17      receive them; and
             18              .    post public notice of its meetings on the internet;
             19          .    requires public notices with agendas to provide reasonable specificity to notify the
             20      public as to the topics to be considered at the meeting;
             21          .    prohibits a public body from considering topics that are not posted with the public
             22      notice and provides certain exceptions;
             23          .    requires both written minutes and a recording to be kept of all open meetings, with
             24      certain exceptions;
             25          .    provides that written minutes shall be the official record of action taken at an open
             26      meeting; and
             27          .    makes technical changes.
             28      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             29          None

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             30      Other Special Clauses:
             31          None
             32      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             33      AMENDS:
             34          52-4-2, as last amended by Chapter 89, Laws of Utah 1994
             35          52-4-6, as last amended by Chapter 110, Laws of Utah 1998
             36          52-4-7, as last amended by Chapter 311, Laws of Utah 2002
             37     
             38      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             39          Section 1. Section 52-4-2 is amended to read:
             40           52-4-2. Definitions.
             41          As used in this chapter:
             42          (1) "Convening" means the calling of a meeting of a public body by a person
             43      authorized to do so for the express purpose of discussing or acting upon a subject over which
             44      that public body has jurisdiction.
             45          (2) (a) "Meeting" means the convening of a public body, with a quorum present,
             46      whether in person or by means of electronic equipment, for the purpose of discussing or acting
             47      upon a matter over which the public body has jurisdiction or advisory power.
             48          (b) "Meeting" does not mean:
             49          (i) a chance meeting; or
             50          (ii) the convening of a public body that has both legislative and executive
             51      responsibilities where no public funds are appropriated for expenditure during the time the
             52      public body is convened and:
             53          (A) the public body is convened solely for the discussion or implementation of
             54      administrative or operational matters for which no formal action by the public body is required;
             55      or
             56          (B) the public body is convened solely for the discussion or implementation of
             57      administrative or operational matters that would not come before the public body for

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             58      discussion or action.
             59          (3) (a) "Public body" means any administrative, advisory, executive, or legislative body
             60      of the state or its political subdivisions that:
             61          (i) consists of two or more persons;
             62          (ii) expends, disburses, or is supported in whole or in part by tax revenue; and
             63          (iii) is vested with the authority to make decisions regarding the public's business.
             64          (b) "Public body" does not include any:
             65          (i) political party, group, or caucus; nor
             66          (ii) any conference committee, rules committee, or sifting committee of the
             67      Legislature.
             68          (4) (a) "Quorum" means a simple majority of the membership of a public body, unless
             69      otherwise defined by applicable law.
             70          (b) "Quorum" does not include a meeting of two elected officials by themselves when
             71      no action, either formal or informal, is taken on a subject over which these elected officials
             72      have jurisdiction.
             73          (5) "Recording" means an audio, or an audio and video record of the proceedings of a
             74      meeting that can be used to review the proceedings of the meeting.
             75          Section 2. Section 52-4-6 is amended to read:
             76           52-4-6. Public notice of meetings.
             77          (1) Any public body which holds regular meetings that are scheduled in advance over
             78      the course of a year shall give public notice at least once each year of its annual meeting
             79      schedule as provided in this section. The public notice shall specify the date, time, and place of
             80      such meetings.
             81          (2) In addition to the notice requirements of Subsection (1) of this section, each public
             82      body shall give not less than 24 hours' public notice of the agenda, date, time and place of each
             83      of its meetings.
             84          (3) Public notice shall be satisfied by:
             85          (a) posting written notice at the principal office of the public body, or if no [such]

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             86      principal office exists, at the building where the meeting is to be held; and
             87          (b) providing notice to:
             88          (i) at least one newspaper of general circulation within the geographic jurisdiction of
             89      the public body[,]; or [to]
             90          (ii) a local media correspondent.
             91          (4) [Public bodies are] A public body is encouraged to:
             92          (a) develop and use electronic means to [post] provide notice [in addition to those
             93      means listed in Subsection (3).] of its meetings under Subsection (3)(b);
             94          (b) provide public notice to all other media agencies that make a periodic written
             95      request to receive them; and
             96          (c) post public notice of its meetings on the Internet.
             97          (5) When because of unforeseen circumstances it is necessary for a public body to hold
             98      an emergency meeting to consider matters of an emergency or urgent nature, the notice
             99      requirements of Subsection (2) may be disregarded and the best notice practicable given. No
             100      such emergency meeting of a public body shall be held unless an attempt has been made to
             101      notify all of its members and a majority votes in the affirmative to hold the meeting.
             102          (6) (a) A public notice that is required to include an agenda under Subsection (2), shall
             103      provide reasonable specificity to notify the public as to the topics to be considered at the
             104      meeting. Each topic shall be listed under an agenda item on the meeting agenda.
             105          (b) Except as provided in Subsection (5) and Subsection (6)(c), a public body may not
             106      consider a topic in an open meeting that is not:
             107          (i) listed under an agenda item under Subsection (6)(a); and
             108          (ii) included with the advanced public notice in accordance with this section.
             109          (c) A topic not listed on the open meeting agenda that is raised during an open meeting
             110      may be discussed but no final action may be taken by the public body during that meeting.
             111          Section 3. Section 52-4-7 is amended to read:
             112           52-4-7. Minutes of open meetings -- Public records -- Recording of meetings.
             113          (1) [Written] Except as provided under Subsection (8), written minutes [or a digital or

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             114      tape] and a recording shall be kept of all open meetings. Such minutes [or a digital or tape] and
             115      a recording shall include:
             116          (a) the date, time, and place of the meeting;
             117          (b) the names of members present and absent;
             118          (c) the substance of all matters proposed, discussed, or decided, and a record, by
             119      individual member, of votes taken;
             120          (d) the names of all citizens who appeared and the substance in brief of their testimony;
             121      and
             122          (e) any other information that any member requests be entered in the minutes.
             123          (2) Except as provided in Section 52-4-7.5 , written minutes or a [digital or tape]
             124      recording shall be kept of all closed meetings. Such minutes or [digital or tape] recording shall
             125      include:
             126          (a) the date, time, and place of the meeting;
             127          (b) the names of members present and absent; and
             128          (c) the names of all others present except where such disclosure would infringe on the
             129      confidence necessary to fulfill the original purpose of closing the meeting.
             130          (3) The minutes and recordings are public records and shall be available within a
             131      reasonable time after the meeting. A meeting record kept only by a [digital or tape] recording
             132      must be converted to written minutes within a reasonable time upon request.
             133          (4) All or any part of an open meeting may be recorded by any person in attendance;
             134      provided, the recording does not interfere with the conduct of the meeting.
             135          (5) Minutes of meetings that are required to be retained permanently shall be
             136      maintained in or converted to a format that meets long-term records storage requirements.
             137          (6) Written minutes [or digital or tape] and recordings [shall be] of open meetings are
             138      public records [pursuant to] under Title 63, Chapter 2, Government Records Access and
             139      Management Act, but [only] written minutes shall be [evidence of] the official record of action
             140      taken at [such] the meeting.
             141          (7) A recording of an open meeting shall be a complete and unedited record of all open

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             142      portions of the meeting from the commencement of the meeting through adjournment of the
             143      meeting.
             144          (8) (a) Either written minutes or a recording shall be kept of:
             145          (a) an open meeting that is a site visit or a traveling tour, if no vote or action is taken
             146      by the public body; and
             147          (b) an open meeting of an independent special district as defined under Title 17A,
             148      Special Districts, or a local district under Title 17B, Chapter 2, Local Districts, if the district's
             149      annual budgeted expenditures for all funds, excluding capital expenditures and debt service, are
             150      $50,000 or less.

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