or 
lines to the right of the URL bar at the top of your browser
House Committee Hears Bill to Amend Open Meeting Law for Advisory Bodies
The bill would allow members of public advisory bodies greater flexibility to participate remotely.
The House State and Local Government Finance and Policy Committee heard a bill on April 9 that would change the requirements for meetings of advisory public bodies related to interactive technology.
HF 4413 (Rep. Erin Koegel, DFL-Spring Lake Park) would define an “advisory public body” as a public body comprised entirely of appointed members and not including elected officials. Members of advisory public bodies would be authorized to participate remotely from any location for up to 50% of the body’s meetings if:
- Notice is provided of the member’s remote participation and location.
- All members of the body and the public must be able to see and hear one another and all testimony and discussion.
- At least one member must be present at the physical meeting location.
Testimony on the bill
Proponents of the bill testified that this flexibility would allow a broader cross section of the community to participate on public advisory boards while maintaining public accountability. Other testifiers noted concerns about transparency and the application of this provision to boards and commissions that have policy making authority or enforcement powers.
What’s next?
The bill author, Rep. Koegel, stated that she understands the concerns around changing Minnesota Open Meeting Law requirements for different types of boards and commissions and plans to continue working on language to tailor the proposed amendments to the law.
The Senate companion bill, SF 4456 (Sen. Alice Mann, DFL-Edina) has not yet received a hearing.