The bill amends Section 42-46-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-46 entitled "Open Meetings" to modify the requirements for public meeting notices and the handling of agenda items. Public bodies are required to give written notice of their regularly scheduled meetings at the beginning of each calendar year, including dates, times, and places, which must be provided to the public upon request and to the secretary of state. Supplemental written public notice of any meeting must be given at least 48 hours in advance, excluding weekends and state holidays. The notice must include specific details such as the date of posting, the nature of the business to be discussed, and must be maintained for at least one year. The bill allows public bodies to add additional items to the agenda by majority vote, except for school committees, which can only add items for informational purposes unless they have been posted in accordance with the provisions of the section. Emergency meetings can be called with a majority vote to address unexpected occurrences that require immediate action to protect the public, with the requirement to post a notice and agenda as soon as practicable.

The bill also specifies that public bodies are not required to hold open-forum sessions on topics not on the meeting notice and may limit comments on topics not previously posted. However, if a subject matter was previously posted, the public body must allow public comment on that matter even if the matter is withdrawn or held over for a future meeting. School committees have specific conditions under which they can add agenda items not in the published notice, including electronic filing with the secretary of state and posting on the school district's website at least 48 hours in advance. All notices must be electronically transmitted to the secretary of state within a year after the subsection takes effect. Failure to transmit notices accordingly allows any aggrieved person to file a complaint with the attorney general. The act would take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
345: 42-46-6