ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

Second Regular Session

House: GE DPA 8-5-0-0

HB 2412: open meetings; digital recordings

Sponsor: Representative Parker, LD 16

House Engrossed

Overview

Requires all public bodies to also provide for an audio or audiovisual recording of all their meetings and outlines such regulations.

History

Meetings of any public body must be public meetings and any person who desires is allowed to attend and listen to the proceedings and deliberations.  All public bodies are required to provide for the taking of written minutes or a recording of all their meetings, including executive sessions.  The minutes or a recording of a meeting must be made available for public inspection no later than three working days after the meeting (A.R.S. § 38-431.01).

A public body of a city or town with a population of more than 2,500 people is required to post on its website, within three working days after a meeting, any recording of the meeting and a statement describing the legal actions taken by the public body.  Within two working days after the approval of the minutes, the public body must post on its website approved city or town council meeting minutes.  Finally, within 10 working days after an advisory committee or subcommittee meeting, a public body of a city or town is directed to post on its website a recording of the meeting or a statement describing legal action, if any (A.R.S. § 38-431.01).

Provisions

1.   Directs all public bodies to provide for an audio or audiovisual recording of all their meetings in addition to the statutorily required written minutes. (Sec. 1)

2.   Specifies that public bodies must provide for the taking of written minutes or a recording of executive sessions. (Sec. 1)

3.   Instructs each public body to additionally post the audio or audiovisual recording or a direct link of the recording of a meeting on its website no later than three working days after the meeting. (Sec. 1)

4.   States that the minutes must be posted for public inspection no later than three working days after approval of the minutes. (Sec. 1)

5.   Removes the requirements related to specific meeting recordings and descriptions of legal actions by a public body of a city or town with a certain population. (Sec. 1)

6.   Requires an entity that is formed for the purpose of protecting or providing services to agricultural lands or crops to provide for the taking of written minutes and allows the entity to provide for an audio or audiovisual recording of meetings. (Sec. 1)

7.   Instructs an entity providing for the taking of written minutes to make the minutes available for public inspection no later than three working days following approval of the minutes and allows the posting of the minutes on its website, if applicable. (Sec. 1)

8.   Modifies the time period for any required posting to remain on the applicable website to three years after the date of the posting, rather than one year. (Sec. 1)

9.   ☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteMakes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1)

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13.                    HB 2412

14.  Initials SJ  Page 0 House Engrossed

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