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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1126 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3328
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Mindy Domb
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to virtual meetings of appointed statewide public bodies.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Tricia Farley-Bouvier2nd Berkshire1/14/2025Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/15/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1126 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3328
By Representatives Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield and Domb of Amherst, a petition (accompanied
by bill, House, No. 3328) of Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Mindy Domb relative to virtual meetings
of appointed statewide public bodies. State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3671 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to virtual meetings of appointed statewide public bodies.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 20 of chapter 30A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (d).
3 SECTION 2. Said chapter 30A is hereby further amended by inserting after section 20
4the following section:
5 Section 20A. (1) A statewide public body, hereafter “public body”, whose members are
6appointed may allow remote participation by any member for any meeting of the public body.
7For the purposes of this section, the term “remote participation” means participation by a
8member of a public body during a meeting of that public body where the member is not
9physically present at the meeting location. 2 of 2
10 (2) Members remotely participating in a meeting may vote and shall be considered
11present and in attendance for all purposes, including for purposes of determining a quorum.
12 (3) All members of the public body participating either remotely or at a meeting location
13shall be clearly audible to one another and shall make known the names of members of the
14public body and the public present either remotely or at a meeting location.
15 (4) For any meeting conducted through remote participation, the public body shall make
16provisions to ensure public access to the deliberations of the public body for interested members
17of the public through adequate, alternative means. Adequate, alternative means of public access
18shall mean measures that provide transparency and permit timely and effective public access to
19the virtual meeting. Such means may include, without limitation, providing public access
20through telephone, internet or satellite enabled audio or video conferencing or any other
21technology that enables the public to clearly follow the proceedings of the virtual meeting while
22those proceedings are occurring. Documents used for any such meeting should be made available
23 to the public before or at the time of the meeting of the public body. Where allowance for
24active, real-time participation by members of the public is required by law, pursuant to which the
25proceeding is conducted, any alternative means of public access shall provide for such
26participation. A public body shall offer its selected alternative means of public access to virtual
27meetings without subscription, toll or similar charge to the public.
28 (5) A public body that elects to conduct its proceedings remotely shall ensure that any
29party entitled or required to appear before it may do so through remote means, as if the party
30were a member of the public body participating remotely.
31 (6) This section shall not apply to any municipal body.