25 LC 47 3413
House Bill 516
By: Representatives New of the 40
th
, Hawkins of the 27
th
, Ballard of the 147
th
, Scoggins of
the 14
th
, Persinger of the 119
th
, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Code Section 50-14-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
1
meetings open to the public, limitation on action to contest agency action, recording, notice2
of time and place, access to minutes, and teleconferences, so as to authorize county and3
regional library boards to conduct meetings via teleconference; to provide for related matters;4
to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:6
SECTION 1.7
Code Section 50-14-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to meetings open8
to the public, limitation on action to contest agency action, recording, notice of time and9
place, access to minutes, and teleconferences, is amended by revising subsection (h) as10
follows:11
"(h)(1) The following bodies and committees thereof shall be authorized to conduct12
meetings by teleconference, provided that any such meeting shall be considered to be13
conducted in compliance with this chapter so long as the notice required by this chapter14
is provided and, if fewer than a quorum of the members of a body or committee thereof15
H. B. 516
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are physically present, means have been afforded for the public to have simultaneous
16
access to the teleconference meeting:17
(A) Development authorities created pursuant to or authorized by the provisions of18
Chapter 42 or Chapter 62 of Title 36, by or pursuant to Article IX, Section VI,19
Paragraph III of the Georgia Constitution, or by or pursuant to any amendment to the20
Constitution continued pursuant to the authority of Article XI, Section I, Paragraph IV21
of the Constitution;22
(B) Community improvement districts created pursuant to the provisions of Article IX,23
Section VII of the Georgia Constitution;24
(C) Hospital authorities created pursuant to Article 4 of Chapter 7 of Title 31; and
25
(D) The board of trustees or other governing body of any large retirement system as26
such term is defined in subsection (a) of Code Section 47-20-84; and27
(E) The board of trustees of any county or regional public library created pursuant to28
Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 5 of Title 20.29
(2) The participation by teleconference of members of such bodies or committees thereof30
means full participation in the same manner as if such members were physically present. 31
In the event such teleconference meeting is a public hearing, and if fewer than a quorum32
of the members of a body or committee thereof are physically present, then members of33
the public shall be afforded the means to participate fully in the same manner as if such34
members of the public were physically present."35
SECTION 2.36
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.37
H. B. 516
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