H812 - Clarify Remote Meetings During Emergencies. (SL 2021-35)

Overview: S.L. 2021-35 clarifies the authority of public bodies to hold remote open meetings during declarations of emergencies, including:

• Allowing a public body to update a meeting notice to provide for a remote meeting.
• Specifying compliance with the procedure for remote meetings establishes a presumption the meeting is open to the public.
• Requiring a public body to allow written comments on the subject of a remotely held public hearing to be submitted between publication of any required notice and 24 hours prior to the scheduled beginning of the hearing.

The act became effective July 1, 2021, and applies to remote meetings held on or after that date.