Bill > H1704

This bill aims to enhance public access to deliberations of public bodies and improve the efficiency of these public bodies. It does this by: 1) Expanding the definition of "meeting" to include public Internet discussions, where members of a public body can discuss matters within their jurisdiction online. These public Internet discussions must be set up so the public can monitor the proceedings, and optionally allow a defined subset of the public to participate. 2) Requiring all meetings and public Internet discussions to be open to the public, with proper notice provided in advance. This notice must include details like the date, time, and whether public participation is allowed. 3) Mandating that public bodies create and maintain accurate records of all meetings and public Internet discussions, making the information freely accessible online. The overall goal is to increase transparency and accessibility of public deliberations, while also providing new channels like public Internet discussions to enhance the efficiency of public bodies.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H1704