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1999 SESSION

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SB 1026 Freedom of Information Act; electronic communication meetings.

Introduced by: Stephen D. Newman | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS PASSED: (all summaries)

Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); electronic communication meetings. Exempts from FOIA’s restrictions on electronic communications meetings (i) any public body (a) in the legislative branch of state government or (b) responsible to or under the supervision, direction, or control of the Secretary of Commerce and Trade or the Secretary of Technology or (ii) the State Board for Community Colleges. The bill does not apply to any session of the General Assembly. The bill adopts the basic requirements of nonelectronic communication public meetings as the required procedure for holding electronic communication meetings. The bill (i) defines “electronic communication means,” “emergency,” and “meeting”; (ii) requires that, except in an emergency, notice of a meeting must be provided no less than seven days before the meeting in a manner reasonably calculated under the circumstances to apprise the public of the meeting information; (iii) requires that notice for emergency meetings be given contemporaneously with notice provided to members of the public body or Board in a manner reasonably calculated under the circumstances to apprise the public of the meeting information; (iv) for purposes of establishing the participation requirement, requires that every location where a member of the public body or Board is physically present must be in Virginia and open and accessible to the public; (v) after the presence of three members or a quorum is established, permits members of the public body or the Board who are not physically present in Virginia or at a location open and accessible to the public to participate in the meeting and vote; and (vi) requires public bodies and the Board, when they use the provisions of this bill, to file reports thereon by October 15, 2000. The bill contains an emergency clause, expires on July 1, 2000, and is a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science.


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