EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb1064*
HOUSE BILL 1064
L5, L2 5lr0974
By: Montgomery County Delegation and Prince George’s County Delegation
Introduced and read first time: February 5, 2025
Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 2, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Montgomery County Planning Board and Washington Suburban Sanitary 2
Commission – Open Meetings – Live Streaming Requirement 3
MC/PG 101–25 4
FOR the purpose of altering establishing that certain project site visits and educational 5
field tours do not constitute open meetings subject to the requirement that the 6
Montgomery County Planning Board and the Washington Suburban Sanitary 7
Commission, respectively, stream live video or audio of their open meetings to apply 8
only to meetings held at certain locations; and generally relating to open meetings of 9
the Montgomery County Planning Board and the Washington Suburban Sanitary 10
Commission. 11
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Land Use 13
Section 20–202(e) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2012 Volume and 2024 Supplement) 16
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 17
Article – Public Utilities 18
Section 17–106(e) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 21
2 HOUSE BILL 1064
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Land Use 3
20–202. 4
(e) (1) This subsection applies only to the Montgomery County Planning 5
Board. 6
(2) The Board shall: 7
(i) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED I N PARAGRAPH (5) OF THIS 8
SUBSECTION, stream live video or live teleconference audio or other audio of the open 9
meetings of the Board ONLY IF THE MEETING IS HELD AT: 10
1. THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE BOARD; OR 11
2. A LOCATION WHERE THE BOARD HELD AT LEAST 10 12
MEETINGS DURING THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDIN G CALENDAR YEAR ; 13
(ii) maintain on its website a complete and unedited archived 14
recording of each open meeting that is livestreamed in accordance with this subsection; and 15
(iii) notwithstanding § 3–306(b)(2)(i) of the General Provisions 16
Article: 17
1. prepare minutes of each meeting as soon as practicable 18
after the meeting; and 19
2. publish and maintain on its website the minutes of each 20
open meeting prepared in accordance with this subsection. 21
(3) The inability of the Board to comply with paragraph (2)(i) and (ii) of this 22
subsection due to technical failure that entirely prevents or otherwise affects the quality of 23
the live video or audio streaming of a meeting of the Board does not affect the validity of 24
any action taken by the Board during the meeting if: 25
(i) the Board otherwise complies with this subsection and the Open 26
Meetings Act; and 27
(ii) the inability to comply is not due to willful action by the Board. 28
(4) In addition to complying with the minutes requirements of the Open 29
Meetings Act under § 3–306 of the General Provisions Article, if the Board is unable to 30
comply with paragraph (2)(i) of this subsection, the Board shall make good–faith efforts to 31 HOUSE BILL 1064 3
record an open meeting by video or audio and maintain on its website a complete and 1
unedited archived recording of the meeting. 2
(5) A PROJECT SITE VISIT O R AN EDUCATIONAL FIE LD TOUR DOES 3
NOT CONSTITUTE AN OP EN MEETING UNDER PAR AGRAPH (2)(I) OF THIS 4
SUBSECTION IF NO ORG ANIZATIONAL BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED . 5
Article – Public Utilities 6
17–106. 7
(e) (1) The Commission shall: 8
(i) EXCEPT A S PROVIDED IN PARAGR APH (4) OF THIS 9
SUBSECTION, stream live video or live teleconference audio or other audio of the open 10
meetings of the Commission ONLY IF THE MEETING IS HELD AT: 11
1. THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE COMMISSION; OR 12
2. A LOCATION WHERE THE COMMISSION HELD AT 13
LEAST 10 MEETINGS DURING THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDIN G CALENDAR YEAR ; and 14
(ii) maintain on its website a complete and unedited archived 15
recording of each open meeting that is livestreamed in accordance with this subsection. 16
(2) The inability of the Commission to comply with paragraph (1) of this 17
subsection due to technical failure that entirely prevents or otherwise affects the quality of 18
the live video or audio streaming of a meeting of the Commission does not affect the validity 19
of any action taken by the Commission during the meeting if: 20
(i) the Commission otherwise complies with this section and the 21
Open Meetings Act; and 22
(ii) the inability to comply is not due to willful action by the 23
Commission. 24
(3) In addition to complying with the minutes requirements of the Open 25
Meetings Act under § 3–306 of the General Provisions Article, if the Commission is unable 26
to comply with the requirements of paragraph (1)(i) of this subsection, the Commission 27
shall make good faith efforts to record an open session by video or audio and maintain on 28
its website a complete and unedited archived recording of the meeting. 29
(4) A PROJECT SITE VISIT O R AN EDUCATIONAL FIE LD TOUR DOES 30
NOT CONSTITUTE AN OP EN MEETING UNDER PAR AGRAPH (1)(I) OF THIS 31
SUBSECTION IF NO ORG ANIZATIONAL BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED . 32
4 HOUSE BILL 1064
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 1
1, 2025. 2
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.