SENATE BILL No. 210

 

 

February 25, 2003, Introduced by Senators SCHAUER, BASHAM, EMERSON and CHERRY and referred to the Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions.

 

 

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1976 PA 267, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Open meetings act,"                                                        

                                                                                

    by amending sections 2 and 3 (MCL 15.262 and 15.263), section 2             

                                                                                

    as amended by 2001 PA 38 and section 3 as amended by 1988 PA                

                                                                                

    278.                                                                        

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 2.  As used in this act:                                               

                                                                                

2       (a) "Public body" means any state or local legislative or                   

                                                                                

3   governing body, including a board, commission, committee,                   

                                                                                

4   subcommittee, authority, or council, that is empowered by state             

                                                                                

5   constitution, statute, charter, ordinance, resolution, or rule to           

                                                                                

6   exercise governmental or proprietary authority or perform a                 

                                                                                

7   governmental or proprietary function; a lessee of such a body               

                                                                                

8   performing an essential public purpose and function pursuant to             

                                                                                

9   the lease agreement;  or  the board of a nonprofit corporation              

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   formed by a city under section 4o of the home rule city act, 1909           

                                                                                

2   PA 279, MCL 117.4o; or the catastrophic claims association                  

                                                                                

3   created in section 3104 of the insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA              

                                                                                

4   218, MCL 500.3104.                                                          

                                                                                

5       (b) "Meeting" means the convening of a public body at which a               

                                                                                

6   quorum is present for the purpose of deliberating toward or                 

                                                                                

7   rendering a decision on a public policy, or any meeting of the              

                                                                                

8   board of a nonprofit corporation formed by a city under section             

                                                                                

9   4o of the home rule city act, 1909 PA 279, MCL 117.4o.                      

                                                                                

10      (c) "Closed session" means a meeting or part of a meeting of                

                                                                                

11  a public body that is closed to the public.                                 

                                                                                

12      (d) "Decision" means a determination, action, vote, or                      

                                                                                

13  disposition upon a motion, proposal, recommendation, resolution,            

                                                                                

14  order, ordinance, bill, or measure on which a vote by members of            

                                                                                

15  a public body is required and by which a public body effectuates            

                                                                                

16  or formulates public policy.                                                

                                                                                

17      Sec. 3.  (1) All meetings of a public body shall be open to                 

                                                                                

18  the public and shall be held in a place available to the general            

                                                                                

19  public.  All persons shall be permitted to attend any meeting               

                                                                                

20  except as otherwise provided in this act.  The right of a person            

                                                                                

21  to attend a meeting of a public body includes the right to                  

                                                                                

22  tape-record, to videotape, to broadcast live on radio, and to               

                                                                                

23  telecast live on television the proceedings of a public body at a           

                                                                                

24  public meeting.  The exercise of this right shall not be                    

                                                                                

25  dependent upon the prior approval of the public body.  However, a           

                                                                                

26  public body may establish reasonable rules and regulations in               

                                                                                

27  order to minimize the possibility of disrupting the meeting.                

                                                                                


                                                                                

1       (2) All decisions of a public body shall be made at a meeting               

                                                                                

2   open to the public.                                                         

                                                                                

3       (3) All deliberations of a public body constituting a quorum                

                                                                                

4   of its members shall take place at a meeting open to the public             

                                                                                

5   except as provided in this section and sections 7 and 8.                    

                                                                                

6       (4) A person shall not be required as a condition of                        

                                                                                

7   attendance at a meeting of a public body to register or otherwise           

                                                                                

8   provide his or her name or other information or otherwise to                

                                                                                

9   fulfill a condition precedent to attendance.                                

                                                                                

10      (5) A person shall be permitted to address a meeting of a                   

                                                                                

11  public body under rules established and recorded by the public              

                                                                                

12  body.  The legislature or a house of the legislature may provide            

                                                                                

13  by rule that the right to address may be limited to prescribed              

                                                                                

14  times at hearings and committee meetings only.                              

                                                                                

15      (6) A person shall not be excluded from a meeting otherwise                 

                                                                                

16  open to the public except for a breach of the peace actually                

                                                                                

17  committed at the meeting.                                                   

                                                                                

18      (7) This act does not apply to the following public bodies                  

                                                                                

19  only when deliberating the merits of a case:                                

                                                                                

20      (a) The worker's compensation appeal board created under the                

                                                                                

21  worker's disability compensation act of 1969,  Act No. 317 of the           

                                                                                

22  Public Acts of 1969, as amended, being sections 418.101 to                  

                                                                                

23  418.941 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  1969 PA 317, MCL 418.101             

                                                                                

24  to 418.941.                                                                 

                                                                                

25      (b) The employment security board of review created under the               

                                                                                

26  Michigan employment security act,  Act No. 1 of the Public Acts             

                                                                                

27  of the Extra Session of 1936, as amended, being sections 421.1 to           

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   421.73 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  1936 (Ex Sess) PA 1, MCL              

                                                                                

2   421.1 to 421.75.                                                            

                                                                                

3       (c) The state tenure commission created under  Act No. 4 of                 

                                                                                

4   the Public Acts of the Extra Session of 1937, as amended, being             

                                                                                

5   sections 38.71 to 38.191 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  1937 (Ex            

                                                                                

6   Sess) PA 4, MCL 38.71 to 38.191, when acting as a board of review           

                                                                                

7   from the decision of a controlling board.                                   

                                                                                

8       (d) An arbitrator or arbitration panel appointed by the                     

                                                                                

9   employment relations commission under the authority given the               

                                                                                

10  commission by  Act No. 176 of the Public Acts of 1939, as                   

                                                                                

11  amended, being sections 423.1 to 423.30 of the Michigan Compiled            

                                                                                

12  Laws  1939 PA 176, MCL 423.1 to 423.30.                                     

                                                                                

13      (e) An arbitration panel selected under chapter 50A of the                  

                                                                                

14  revised judicature act of 1961, Act No. 236 of the Public Acts of           

                                                                                

15  1961, being sections 600.5040 to 600.5065 of the Michigan                   

                                                                                

16  Compiled Laws.                                                              

                                                                                

17      (e)  (f)  The Michigan public service commission created                    

                                                                                

18  under  Act No. 3 of the Public Acts of 1939, being sections 460.1           

                                                                                

19  to 460.8 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  1939 PA 3, MCL 460.1 to             

                                                                                

20  460.10z.                                                                    

                                                                                

21      (f) The catastrophic claims association created under section               

                                                                                

22  3104 of the insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.3104.              

                                                                                

23      (8)  This  Except as provided in section 2, this act does not               

                                                                                

24  apply to an association of insurers created under the insurance             

                                                                                

25  code of 1956,  Act No. 218 of the Public Acts of 1956, being                

                                                                                

26  sections 500.100 to 500.8302 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  1956            

                                                                                

27  PA 218, MCL 500.100 to 500.8302, or other association or facility           

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   formed under  Act No. 218 of the Public Acts of 1956  the                   

                                                                                

2   insurance code of 1956, 1956 PA 218, MCL 500.100 to 500.8302, as            

                                                                                

3   a nonprofit organization of insurer members.                                

                                                                                

4       (9) This act does not apply to a committee of a public body                 

                                                                                

5   which  that adopts a nonpolicymaking resolution of tribute or              

                                                                                

6   memorial which resolution is not adopted at a meeting.                      

                                                                                

7       (10) This act does not apply to a meeting  which  that is a                 

                                                                                

8   social or chance gathering or conference not designed to avoid              

                                                                                

9   this act.                                                                   

                                                                                

10      (11) This act  shall  does not apply to the Michigan                        

                                                                                

11  veterans' trust fund board of trustees or a county or district              

                                                                                

12  committee created under  Act No. 9 of the Public Acts of the                

                                                                                

13  First Extra Session of 1946, being sections 35.601 to 35.610 of             

                                                                                

14  the Michigan Compiled Laws  1946 (1st Ex Sess) PA 9, MCL 35.601             

                                                                                

15  to 35.610, when the board of trustees or county or district                 

                                                                                

16  committee is deliberating the merits of an emergent need.  A                

                                                                                

17  decision of the board of trustees or county or district committee           

                                                                                

18  made under this subsection shall be reconsidered by the board or            

                                                                                

19  committee at its next regular or special meeting consistent with            

                                                                                

20  the requirements of this act.  "Emergent need" means a situation            

                                                                                

21  which the board of trustees, by rules promulgated under the                 

                                                                                

22  administrative procedures act of 1969,  Act No. 306 of the Public           

                                                                                

23  Acts of 1969, as amended, being sections 24.201 to 24.328 of the            

                                                                                

24  Michigan Compiled Laws  1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328,                  

                                                                                

25  determines requires immediate action.                                       

                                                                                

26      Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act does not take                      

                                                                                

27  effect unless Senate Bill No. 209                                           

                                                                                


                                                                                

1                          of the 92nd Legislature is enacted into              

                                                                                

2   law.