2017 -- H 6121

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LC002498

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OPEN MEETINGS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Serpa, and Fellela

     Date Introduced: April 14, 2017

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 42-46-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-46 entitled "Open

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Meetings" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     42-46-6. Notice.

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     (a) All public bodies shall give written notice of their regularly scheduled meetings at the

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beginning of each calendar year. The notice shall include the dates, times, and places of the

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meetings and shall be provided to members of the public upon request and to the secretary of

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state at the beginning of each calendar year in accordance with subsection (f).

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     (b) Public bodies shall give supplemental written public notice of any meeting within a

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minimum of forty-eight (48) hours before the date. This notice shall include the date the notice

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was posted, the date, time and place of the meeting, and a statement specifying the nature of the

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business to be discussed. Copies of the notice shall be maintained by the public body for a

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minimum of one year. Nothing contained herein shall prevent a public body, other than a school

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committee, from adding additional items to the agenda by majority vote of the members. School

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committees may, however, add items for informational purposes only, pursuant to a request,

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submitted in writing, by a member of the public during the public comment session of the school

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committee's meetings. Said informational items may not be voted upon unless they have been

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posted in accordance with the provisions of this section. Such additional items shall be for

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informational purposes only and may not be voted on except where necessary to address an

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unexpected occurrence that requires immediate action to protect the public or to refer the matter

 

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to an appropriate committee or to another body or official.

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     (c) Written public notice shall include, but need not be limited to, posting a copy of the

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notice at the principal office of the public body holding the meeting, or if no principal office

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exists, at the building in which the meeting is to be held, and in at least one other prominent place

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within the governmental unit, and electronic filing of the notice with the secretary of state

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pursuant to subsection (f); however, nothing contained herein shall prevent a public body from

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holding an emergency meeting, upon an affirmative vote of the majority of the members of the

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body when the meeting is deemed necessary to address an unexpected occurrence that requires

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immediate action to protect the public. If an emergency meeting is called, a meeting notice and

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agenda shall be posted as soon as practicable and shall be electronically filed with the secretary of

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state pursuant to subsection (e) and, upon meeting, the public body shall state for the record and

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minutes why the matter must be addressed in less than forty-eight (48) hours and only discuss the

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issue or issues which created the need for an emergency meeting. Nothing contained herein shall

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be used in the circumvention of the spirit and requirements of this chapter.

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     (d) All public bodies shall include as part of their agenda of their meeting an open forum

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or public comment session wherein any citizen may speak on any topic, whether or not this topic

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is on the agenda, for not more than five (5) minutes per speaker. Nothing within this chapter shall

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prohibit any public body, or the members thereof, from responding to comments initiated by a

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member of the public during a properly noticed open forum even if the subject matter of a

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citizen's comments or discussions were not previously posted, provided such matters shall be for

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informational purposes only and may not be voted on except where necessary to address an

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unexpected occurrence that requires immediate action to protect the public or to refer the matter

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to an appropriate committee or to another body or official. Nothing contained in this chapter

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requires any public body to hold an open forum session, to entertain or respond to any topic nor

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does it prohibit any public body from limiting comment on any topic at such an open forum

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session. No public body, or the members thereof, may use this section to circumvent the spirit or

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requirements of this chapter.

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     (e) A school committee may add agenda items not appearing in the published notice

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required by this section under the following conditions:

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     (1) The revised agenda is electronically filed with the secretary of state pursuant to

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subsection (f), and is posted on the school district's website and the two (2) public locations

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required by this section at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the meeting;

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     (2) The new agenda items were unexpected and could not have been added in time for

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newspaper publication;

 

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     (3) Upon meeting, the public body states for the record and minutes why the agenda

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items could not have been added in time for newspaper publication and need to be addressed at

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the meeting;

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     (4) A formal process is available to provide timely notice of the revised agenda to any

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person who has requested that notice, and the school district has taken reasonable steps to make

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the public aware of this process; and

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     (5) The published notice shall include a statement that any changes in the agenda will be

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posted on the school district's web site and the two (2) public locations required by this section

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and will be electronically filed with the secretary of state at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance

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of the meeting.

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     (f) All notices required by this section to be filed with the secretary of state shall be

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electronically transmitted to the secretary of state in accordance with rules and regulations which

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shall be promulgated by the secretary of state. This requirement of the electronic transmission and

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filing of notices with the secretary of state shall take effect one year after this subsection takes

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effect.

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     (g) If a public body fails to transmit notices in accordance with this section, then any

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aggrieved person may file a complaint with the attorney general in accordance with ยง 42-46-8.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OPEN MEETINGS

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     This act would require that all public bodies include as part of their agenda an open

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forum or public comment session wherein any citizen may speak on any topic whether or not on

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the agenda, for no more than five (5) minutes per speaker.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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