1
__________________________ 1
Councilmember Brooke Pinto 2
3
4
5
A BILL 6
7
___________ 8
9
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 10
11
_______________ 12
13
To amend, on a temporary basis, the Open Meetings Act of 2010 to provide that a meeting shall 14
be deemed open to the public if the public body takes steps reasonably calculated to 15
allow the public to view or hear the meeting while the meeting is taking place, or, if 16
doing so is not technologically feasible, as soon thereafter as reasonably practicable. 17
18
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 19
act may be cited as the “Virtual Open Meetings Authority Extension Temporary Amendment Act 20
of 2024”. 21
Sec. 2. The Open Meetings Act of 2010, effective March 31, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-350; 22
D.C. Official Code § 2-571 et seq.), is amended as follows: 23
(a) Section 405(a) (D.C. Official Code § 2-575(a)) is amended as follows: 24
(1) Paragraph (2) is amended by striking the phrase “; or” and inserting a 25
semicolon in its place. 26
(2) Paragraph (3) is amended by striking the period and inserting the phrase “; or” 27
in its place. 28
(3) A new paragraph (4) is added to read as follows: 29
“(4) The public body takes steps reasonably calculated to allow the public to view 30
or hear the meeting while the meeting is taking place, or, if doing so is not technologically 31
feasible, as soon thereafter as reasonably practicable.”. 32
2
(b) Section 407(a)(1) (D.C. Official Code § 2-577(a)(1)) is amended by striking the 33
phrase “attend the meeting;” and inserting the phrase “attend the meeting, or steps are taken that 34
are reasonably calculated to allow the public to view or hear the meeting while the meeting is 35
taking place, or, if doing so is not technologically feasible, as soon thereafter as reasonably 36
practicable;” in its place. 37
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 38
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact 39
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 40
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 41
Sec. 4. Effective date. 42
(a) This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by 43
the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of Congressional review 44
as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 45
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813, D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)). 46
(b) This act shall expire after 225 days of its having taken effect. 47