SB353: SB353 Open and Public Meetings; county or joint boards of election or boards of election and registration to conduct meetings via teleconference; authorize

25 LC 47 3616 Senate Bill 353 By: Senators Harrell of the 40th, Jackson of the 41st and Parent of the 44th A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Code Section 50-14-1 of the Official Code of Georgia A nnotated, relating to1 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 or joint3 boards of election or boards of election and registration to co nduct meetings via4 teleconference; to provide for related matters; to repeal confl icting laws; and for other5 purposes.6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:7 SECTION 1.8 Code Section 50-14-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to meetings open9 to the public, limitation on action to contest agency action, r ecording, notice of time and10 place, access to minutes, and teleconferences, is amended by re vising subsection (h) as11 follows:12 "(h)(1) The following bodies and committees thereof shall be au thorized to conduct13 meetings by teleconference, provided that any such meeting shal l be considered to be14 conducted in compliance with this chapter so long as the notice required by this chapter15 is provided and, if fewer than a quorum of the members of a body or committee thereof16 S. B. 353 - 1 - 25 LC 47 3616 are physically present, means have been afforded for the public to have simultaneous17 access to the teleconference meeting:18 (A) Development authorities created pursuant to or authorized by the provisions of19 Chapter 42 or Chapter 62 of Title 36, by or pursuant to Article I X , S e c t i o n V I ,20 Paragraph III of the Georgia Constitution, or by or pursuant to any amendment to the21 Constitution continued pursuant to the authority of Article XI, Section I, Paragraph IV22 of the Constitution;23 (B) Community improvement districts created pursuant to the provisions of Article IX,24 Section VII of the Georgia Constitution;25 (C) Hospital authorities created pursuant to Article 4 of Chapter 7 of Title 31; and26 (D) The board of trustees or other governing body of any large retirement system as27 such term is defined in subsection (a) of Code Section 47-20-84; and28 (E) County or joint boards of election or boards of election and registration established29 pursuant to Code Section 21-2-40 or 21-2-40.1.30 (2) The participation by teleconference of members of such bodies or committees thereof31 means full participation in the same manner as if such members were physically present. 32 In the event such teleconference meeting is a public hearing, and if fewer than a quorum33 of the members of a body or committee thereof are physically present, then members of34 the public shall be afforded the means to participate fully in the same manner as if such35 members of the public were physically present."36 SECTION 2.37 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.38 S. B. 353 - 2 -