The bill S.59 proposes amendments to Vermont's Open Meeting Law, specifically updating definitions and requirements for public bodies. It redefines "undue hardship" to clarify that it refers to actions requiring significant difficulty or expense for the government entity involved, considering factors such as size, available resources, and compliance costs. Additionally, the bill mandates that all state public bodies, except advisory bodies, must hold meetings in a hybrid format, ensuring both physical and electronic access. It also requires public bodies to electronically record all meetings and retain these recordings for a minimum of 30 days.

Furthermore, the bill introduces new provisions regarding meeting agendas, stating that they must contain sufficient details about the matters to be discussed, and specifies that any executive session must be voted on in an open meeting. The bill expands the reasons for holding executive sessions to include discussions about interest rates for publicly financed loans. The act is set to take effect upon passage, reflecting a commitment to transparency and accessibility in government meetings.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 1-310, 1-312, 1-313
As Passed By the Senate -- Official: 1-310, 1-312, 1-313
As Passed By the Senate -- Unofficial: 1-310, 1-312, 1-313