Chapter
180
2007 -- H 5421 AS AMENDED
Enacted 07/02/07
A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE
AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OPEN MEETINGS
Introduced By: Representatives Segal, Ajello, Almeida, Fox, and Diaz
Date Introduced: February
13, 2007
It is
enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 42-46-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-46 entitled
"Open
Meetings"
is hereby amended to read as follows:
42-46-2.
Definitions. -- As used in this chapter:
(a) "Meeting" means the convening of a public body to discuss and/or
act upon a matter
over
which the public body has supervision, control, jurisdiction, or advisory
power. As used
herein,
the term "meeting" shall expressly include, without limiting the
generality of the
foregoing,
so-called "workshop," "working," or "work"
sessions.
(b) "Open call" means a public announcement by the chairperson of the
committee that
the
meeting is going to be held in executive session and the chairperson must
indicate which
exception
of section 42-46-5 is being involved.
(c) "Public body" means any department, agency, commission,
committee, board,
council,
bureau, or authority or any subdivision thereof of state or municipal
government or any
library
that funded a at least majority twenty-five percent
(25%) of its operational budget in the
prior
budget year with public funds, and shall include all authorities defined in
section 42-35-
1(b).
For purposes of this section, any political party, organization, or unit
thereof meeting or
convening
is not and should not be considered to be a public body; provided, however that
no
such
meeting shall be used to circumvent the requirements of this chapter.
(d) "Quorum," unless otherwise defined by applicable law, means a
simple majority of
the
membership of a public body.
(e) "Prevailing plaintiff" shall include those persons and entities
deemed "prevailing
parties"
pursuant to 42 U.S.C. section 1988.
(f) "Open forum" means the designated portion of an open meeting, if
any, on a properly
posted
notice reserved for citizens to address comments to a public body relating to
matters
affecting
the public business.
SECTION
2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC00814
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