| 1 | 1 | | 25 LC 47 3616 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | Senate Bill 353 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | By: Senators Harrell of the 40th, Jackson of the 41st and Parent of the 44th |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | To amend Code Section 50-14-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | 1 |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | meetings open to the public, limitation on action to contest agency action, recording, notice2 |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | of time and place, access to minutes, and teleconferences, so as to authorize county or joint3 |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | boards of election or boards of election and registration to conduct meetings via4 |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | teleconference; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other5 |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | purposes.6 |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | SECTION 1.8 |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Code Section 50-14-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to meetings open9 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | to the public, limitation on action to contest agency action, recording, notice of time and10 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | place, access to minutes, and teleconferences, is amended by revising subsection (h) as11 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | follows:12 |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | "(h)(1) The following bodies and committees thereof shall be authorized to conduct13 |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | meetings by teleconference, provided that any such meeting shall be considered to be14 |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | conducted in compliance with this chapter so long as the notice required by this chapter15 |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | is provided and, if fewer than a quorum of the members of a body or committee thereof16 |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | S. B. 353 |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | - 1 - 25 LC 47 3616 |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | are physically present, means have been afforded for the public to have simultaneous |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | 17 |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | access to the teleconference meeting:18 |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | (A) Development authorities created pursuant to or authorized by the provisions of19 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | Chapter 42 or Chapter 62 of Title 36, by or pursuant to Article IX, Section VI,20 |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | Paragraph III of the Georgia Constitution, or by or pursuant to any amendment to the21 |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | Constitution continued pursuant to the authority of Article XI, Section I, Paragraph IV22 |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | of the Constitution;23 |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (B) Community improvement districts created pursuant to the provisions of Article IX,24 |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | Section VII of the Georgia Constitution;25 |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (C) Hospital authorities created pursuant to Article 4 of Chapter 7 of Title 31; and |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | 26 |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | (D) The board of trustees or other governing body of any large retirement system as27 |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | such term is defined in subsection (a) of Code Section 47-20-84; and28 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | (E) County or joint boards of election or boards of election and registration established29 |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | pursuant to Code Section 21-2-40 or 21-2-40.1.30 |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (2) The participation by teleconference of members of such bodies or committees thereof31 |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | means full participation in the same manner as if such members were physically present. 32 |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | In the event such teleconference meeting is a public hearing, and if fewer than a quorum33 |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | of the members of a body or committee thereof are physically present, then members of34 |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | the public shall be afforded the means to participate fully in the same manner as if such35 |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | members of the public were physically present."36 |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 2.37 |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.38 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | S. B. 353 |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | - 2 - |
|---|