District Of Columbia 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

District Of Columbia Council Bill B26-0087 Enrolled / Bill

Filed 02/04/2025

                       	ENROLLED ORIGINAL 
 
 
 
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AN ACT 
 
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
 
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To amend, on an emergency basis, the Open Meetings Act to provide that a meeting  
shall be deemed open to the public if the public body takes steps reasonably calculated to 
allow the public to view or hear the meeting while the meeting is taking place, or, if 
doing so is not technologically feasible, as soon thereafter as reasonably practicable. 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 
act may be cited as the “Virtual Open Meetings Authority Extension Emergency Amendment Act 
of 2025”. 
 
Sec. 2. The Open Meetings Act, effective March 31, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-350; 
D.C. Official Code § 2-571 et seq.), is amended as follows: 
(a) Section 405(a) (D.C. Official Code § 2-575(a)) is amended as follows: 
(1) Paragraph (2) is amended by striking the phrase “; or” and inserting a 
semicolon in its place. 
(2) Paragraph (3) is amended by striking the period and inserting the phrase “; or” 
in its place. 
(3) A new paragraph (4) is added to read as follows: 
“(4) The public body takes steps reasonably calculated to allow the public to view 
or hear the meeting while the meeting is taking place, or, if doing so is not technologically 
feasible, as soon thereafter as reasonably practicable.”. 
(b) Section 407(a)(1) (D.C. Official Code § 2-	577(a)(1)) is amended by striking the 
phrase “attend the meeting;” and inserting the phrase “attend the meeting, or steps are taken that 
are reasonably calculated to allow the public to view or hear the meeting while the meeting is 
taking place, or, if doing so is not technologically feasible, as soon thereafter as reasonably 
practicable;” in its place. 
 
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement of the Budget Director as the fiscal impact 
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved     	ENROLLED ORIGINAL 
 
 
 
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October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-	301.47a). 
 
Sec. 4. Effective date. 
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 
90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 
412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788; 
D.C. Official Code § 1-204.12(a)).  
 
 
 
 
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Chairman 
Council of the District of Columbia 
 
 
 
 
 
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Mayor 
District of Columbia