State SealARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

SB 1164: ombudsman-citizens aide; executive session; access

PRIME SPONSOR: Senator Farnsworth D, LD 16

BILL STATUS: Transmitted to Governor

                               

 

Overview

☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteIncludes the ombudsman-citizen aide to those who can obtain confidential executive session information.

History

A public body may hold an executive session for the following purposes:

1.       Discussion or consideration of employment, assignment, appointment, promotion, demotion, dismissal, salaries, disciplining or resignation of a public officer, appointee or employee of any public body;

2.       Discussion or consideration of records exempt by law from public inspection;

3.       Discussion or consultation for legal advice with the attorney or attorneys of the public body;

4.       Discussion or consultation with the attorneys of the public body in order to consider its position and instruct its attorneys regarding the public body's position regarding contracts that are the subject of negotiation, in pending or contemplated litigation or in settlement discussions conducted in order to avoid or resolve litigation;

5.       Discussions or consultations with designated representatives of the public body in order to consider its position and instruct its representatives regarding negotiations with employee organizations of fringe benefits of employees of the public body;

6.       Discussion, consultation or consideration of international and interstate negotiations; and

7.       Discussions or consultations with designated representatives of the public body in order to consider its position and instruct its representatives regarding negotiations for the purchase, sale or lease of real property.

Minutes of and discussions made at such executive sessions are kept confidential from everyone except officers, appointees or employees who were subject of the discussion, the auditor general, the county attorney and the Attorney General (A.R.S. § 38-431.03).

The Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens' Aide is an independent agency established by the State Legislature. The ombudsman is an independent impartial dispute resolver and aids in the resolution of problems in a non-adversarial manner. The ombudsman has broad powers to investigate and make recommendations but has no authority to make or reverse a decision (www.azoca.gov).

Provisions

1.       Adds the ombudsman-citizens aide to the people who are allowed to access the minutes of and discussion made at executive sessions. (Sec. 1)

2.       Allows a person to disclose executive session information to the ombudsman-citizens aide. (Sec. 1)

3.       Makes technical changes. (Sec. 1)

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7.       Fifty-fourth Legislature                       SB 1164

8.       First Regular Session                            Version 4: Transmitted

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