This bill mandates that all city councils and county quorum courts in Arkansas must record their public meetings in video format and post these recordings online within 24 hours of the meeting. The legislation amends existing law to specify that, while all officially scheduled, special, and called open public meetings must be recorded, the new requirement for video recordings applies specifically to city councils and county quorum courts. If these entities do not have a website, they are required to post the recordings on a social media account they maintain.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that recordings of public meetings must be kept for at least one year and be available in a format that can be reproduced upon request. The amendments also specify that certain types of meetings, such as executive sessions and those held by volunteer fire departments, are exempt from these recording requirements. Overall, the bill aims to enhance transparency and accessibility of public meetings for citizens.

Statutes affected:
Old version HB1879 V2 - 4-3-2025 11:06 AM: 25-19-106(d)
Old version HB1879 Original - 3-20-2025 02:56 PM: 25-19-106(d)
HB 1879: 25-19-106(d)