HLS 22RS-20 ORIGINAL 2022 Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO. 224 BY REPRESENTATIVE GREGORY MILLER (On Recommendation of the Louisiana State Law Institute) LEGISLATIVE AGCY/LAW INST: Provides relative to meetings of the Louisiana State Law Institute 1 AN ACT 2To amend and reenact R.S. 24:202(F)(1) and (G), relative to meetings of the Louisiana State 3 Law Institute; to provide for the location of meetings; to provide for meetings via 4 electronic means; to provide for the authority of the Louisiana State Law Institute; 5 to provide for definitions; and to provide for related matters. 6Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: 7 Section 1. R.S. 24:202(F)(1) and (G) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as 8follows: 9 ยง202. Council; membership; terms; vacancies; meetings 10 * * * 11 F.(1) All meetings of the Louisiana State Law Institute, including but not 12 limited to council, committee, and subcommittee meetings, Council shall be held at 13 a meeting space located in a public building and open to the public for the purposes 14 of the meeting. The institute shall select meeting space that is available without 15 charge or at a reduced cost. At least a majority half of the council Council meetings, 16 and at least a majority of the meetings of each committee, subcommittee or other 17 body of the institute, held each year shall be in Baton Rouge. 18 * * * 19 G.(1) Meetings of the institute shall be subject to the Open Meetings Law 20 and the Public Records Law. Page 1 of 4 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 22RS-20 ORIGINAL HB NO. 224 1 (2)(a) Notwithstanding Paragraph (1) of this Subsection or provisions of the 2 Open Meetings Law to the contrary, committees and subcommittees of the institute 3 may conduct periodic meetings via electronic means provided that all of the 4 following requirements are met: 5 (i) No later than twenty-four hours prior to the meeting, the institute shall 6 provide the notice and agenda for the meeting, which shall include information 7 regarding how members of the public may participate in the meeting and submit 8 comments regarding matters on the agenda. The notice and agenda shall be posted 9 on the website of the institute and emailed to any member of the public or the news 10 media who requests notice of the committee or subcommittee's meetings. 11 (ii) The institute shall provide a mechanism to receive public comment 12 electronically both prior to and during the meeting. The institute shall properly 13 identify and acknowledge all public comments during the meeting and shall maintain 14 those comments in its record of the meeting. 15 (iii) The institute shall ensure that each person participating in the meeting 16 is properly identified and that all parts of the meeting, excluding any matter 17 discussed in executive session, are clear and audible to all participants in the 18 meeting, including the public. 19 (iv) A committee or subcommittee shall not conduct successive meetings via 20 electronic means. 21 (b) The provisions of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph shall not limit the 22 conduct of meetings via electronic means during a gubernatorially proclaimed or 23 declared disaster or emergency in the manner provided by R.S. 42:17.1. 24 (c) The institute may adopt rules, regulations, and procedures to allow the 25 public to participate in a meeting via electronic means. 26 (d) For purposes of this Paragraph, the following words and phrases shall 27 have the following meanings: 28 (i) "Meeting via electronic means" shall mean a meeting occurring via 29 teleconference or video conference. Page 2 of 4 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 22RS-20 ORIGINAL HB NO. 224 1 (ii) "Teleconference" shall mean a method of communication that enables 2 persons in different locations to participate in a meeting and to hear and otherwise 3 communicate with each other. 4 (iii) "Video conference" shall mean a method of communication that enables 5 persons in different locations to participate in a meeting and to see, hear, and 6 otherwise communicate with each other. DIGEST The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HB 224 Original 2022 Regular Session Gregory Miller Abstract: Provides for meetings of the Louisiana State Law Institute Council, committees, and subcommittees. Present law provides that all meetings of the Louisiana State Law Institute (LSLI) Council, committees, and subcommittees shall be held at a meeting space located in a public building and open to the public for the purposes of the meeting. Proposed law retains present law as it relates to LSLI Council meetings. Present law provides that at least a majority of the LSLI Council, committee, and subcommittee meetings held each year shall be in Baton Rouge. Proposed law instead provides that half of the Council meetings shall be in Baton Rouge and eliminates the requirement that committee and subcommittee meetings be held in Baton Rouge. Proposed law authorizes LSLI committees and subcommittees to conduct periodic meetings via electronic means provided LSLI does the following: (1)Provides the notice and agenda for the meeting 24 hours prior thereto on the LSLI website and by email to those requesting notice. (2)Provides a mechanism to receive public comment electronically both prior to and during the meeting. (3)Properly identify and acknowledge all public comments during the meeting and maintain those comments in its record of the meeting. (4)Ensure that each person participating in the meeting is properly identified and that all parts of the meeting, excluding any matter discussed in executive session, are clear and audible to all participants in the meeting, including the public. Proposed law further provides that a committee or subcommittee shall not conduct successive meetings via electronic means. Proposed law shall not limit the conduct of meetings via electronic means during a gubernatorially proclaimed or declared disaster or emergency. Page 3 of 4 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 22RS-20 ORIGINAL HB NO. 224 Proposed law authorizes the LSLI to adopt rules, regulations, and procedures to allow the public to participate in a meeting via electronic means. Proposed law defines "meeting via electronic means", "teleconference", and "video conference". (Amends R.S. 24:202(F)(1) and (G)) Page 4 of 4 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.