2020 -- H 7518 | |
======== | |
LC003987 | |
======== | |
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020 | |
____________ | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OPEN MEETINGS | |
| |
Introduced By: Representatives Newberry, and Blazejewski | |
Date Introduced: February 07, 2020 | |
Referred To: House Judiciary | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Section 42-46-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-46 entitled "Open |
2 | Meetings" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
3 | 42-46-4. Closed meetings. |
4 | (a) By open call, a public body may hold a meeting closed to the public upon an |
5 | affirmative vote of the majority of its members. A meeting closed to the public shall be limited to |
6 | matters allowed to be exempted from discussion at open meetings by § 42-46-5. The vote of each |
7 | member on the question of holding a meeting closed to the public and the reason for holding a |
8 | closed meeting, by a citation to a subdivision of § 42-46-5(a), and a statement specifying the |
9 | nature of the business to be discussed, shall be recorded and entered into the minutes of the |
10 | meeting. No public body shall discuss in closed session any public matter which does not fall |
11 | within the citations to § 42-46-5(a) referred to by the public body in voting to close the meeting, |
12 | even if these discussions could otherwise be closed to the public under this chapter. |
13 | (b) All votes taken in closed sessions shall be disclosed once the session is reopened; |
14 | provided, however, a vote taken in a closed session need not be disclosed for the period of time |
15 | during which its disclosure would jeopardize any strategy, negotiation or investigation undertaken |
16 | pursuant to discussions conducted under § 42-46-5(a). |
17 | (c) A meeting closed to the public shall be recorded by audiotape or other audio |
18 | recording device, and this audiotape or other audio recording shall not be considered a public |
19 | record as defined in chapter 2 of title 38. |
| |
1 | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
2 | |
======== | |
LC003987 | |
======== | |
| LC003987 - Page 2 of 3 |
EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OPEN MEETINGS | |
*** | |
1 | This act would require that all meetings closed to the public be audio recorded by audio |
2 | tape or other audio recording device. |
3 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
======== | |
LC003987 | |
======== | |
| LC003987 - Page 3 of 3 |