Bill > S2197

This bill modernizes municipal meetings and local elections by establishing comprehensive guidelines for remote participation and election postponement. The legislation allows public bodies to conduct meetings remotely using technologies like telephone or video conferencing, ensuring that remote participants can vote, be counted for quorum purposes, and have equal standing to in-person members. The bill requires public bodies to provide alternative means of public access to their meetings without charge and mandates that all remote votes be recorded as roll call votes. For local elections, select boards are granted the authority to postpone annual elections under specific circumstances, such as during weather-related, public safety, or public health emergencies, with provisions to ensure voter engagement and accommodation. Additionally, the bill empowers town moderators to hold town meetings through remote or hybrid formats, with detailed requirements to maintain democratic principles, such as limiting voting to confirmed eligible participants, enabling public access, and recording proceedings. The Attorney General is tasked with developing best practices for remote participation within 90 days of the act's effective date, and the legislation updates terminology like changing "Board of Selectmen" to "Select Board" to reflect modern language. Overall, the bill aims to provide flexibility and accessibility for local government proceedings while maintaining transparency and democratic integrity.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2197