SB0622 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 08283 JAM 28455 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0622

Introduced 2/8/2007, by Sen. Dale A. Righter

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

5 ILCS 120/2.01

from Ch. 102, par. 42.01

Amends the Open Meetings Act. With respect to public bodies with statewide jurisdiction whose quorums may be present at more than one location simultaneously for an open meeting, requires that the locations must be in Illinois. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Open Meetings Act is amended by changing Section 2.01 as follows:

(5 ILCS 120/2.01) (from Ch. 102, par. 42.01)

Sec. 2.01. All meetings required by this Act to be public shall be held at specified times and places which are convenient and open to the public. No meeting required by this Act to be public shall be held on a legal holiday unless the regular meeting day falls on that holiday.

A quorum of members of a public body must be physically present at the location of an open meeting. If, however, an open meeting of a public body (except one with jurisdiction limited to a specific geographic area that is less than statewide) is held simultaneously at one of its offices and one or more other locations in Illinois in a public building, which may include other of its offices, through an interactive video conference and the public body provides public notice and public access as required under this Act for all locations, then members physically present in those locations all count towards determining a quorum. "Public building", as used in this Section, means any building or portion thereof owned or leased by any public body. The requirement that a quorum be physically present at the location of an open meeting shall not apply, however, to State advisory boards or bodies that do not have authority to make binding recommendations or determinations or to take any other substantive action.

A quorum of members of a public body that is not a public body with statewide jurisdiction must be physically present at the location of a closed meeting. Other members who are not physically present at a closed meeting of such a public body may participate in the meeting by means of a video or audio conference.

(Source: P.A. 94-1058, eff. 1-1-07.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.