Bill > SB0271

This bill amends the Open Meetings Act to establish clear guidelines for virtual attendance and participation in public meetings across different types of public bodies. The bill creates three classes of public bodies (A, B, and C) with varying rules for remote participation: Class A public bodies (typically elected bodies with legislative powers) must have a quorum physically present and limit remote members from voting, while Class B public bodies allow full remote participation if at least one-third of members are physically present, and Class C public bodies can hold entirely virtual meetings. The bill requires that any remotely attending members maintain two-way communication throughout meetings and that electronic communications between members be transparent and shared with all meeting attendees. Public bodies must establish and publish reasonable procedures for remote public participation, ensuring that these procedures do not create undue barriers and comply with disability accommodation laws. The bill also eliminates previous COVID-19-specific meeting provisions and repeals a prior section of the act related to remote meeting attendance, effectively creating a more permanent and structured approach to virtual public meetings that balances accessibility, transparency, and operational flexibility for different types of governmental bodies.

Government Affairs

https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-SB-0271