HB3798 EngrossedLRB098 15355 OMW 50384 b

1    AN ACT concerning government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Open Meetings Act is amended by changing
5Sections 2.01 and 7 as follows:
 
6    (5 ILCS 120/2.01)  (from Ch. 102, par. 42.01)
7    Sec. 2.01. All meetings required by this Act to be public
8shall be held at specified times and places which are
9convenient and open to the public. No meeting required by this
10Act to be public shall be held on a legal holiday unless the
11regular meeting day falls on that holiday.
12    A quorum of members of a public body must be physically
13present at the location of an open meeting. If, however, an
14open meeting of a public body (i) with statewide jurisdiction,
15(ii) that is an Illinois library system with jurisdiction over
16a specific geographic area of more than 4,500 square miles, or
17(iii) that is a municipal transit district with jurisdiction
18over a specific geographic area of more than 4,500 square
19miles, or (iv) that is a local workforce investment area with
20jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than 4,500
21square miles is held simultaneously at one of its offices and
22one or more other locations in a public building, which may
23include other of its offices, through an interactive video

 

 

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1conference and the public body provides public notice and
2public access as required under this Act for all locations,
3then members physically present in those locations all count
4towards determining a quorum. "Public building", as used in
5this Section, means any building or portion thereof owned or
6leased by any public body. The requirement that a quorum be
7physically present at the location of an open meeting shall not
8apply, however, to State advisory boards or bodies that do not
9have authority to make binding recommendations or
10determinations or to take any other substantive action.
11    A quorum of members of a public body that is not (i) a
12public body with statewide jurisdiction, (ii) an Illinois
13library system with jurisdiction over a specific geographic
14area of more than 4,500 square miles, or (iii) a municipal
15transit district with jurisdiction over a specific geographic
16area of more than 4,500 square miles, or (iv) a local workforce
17investment area with jurisdiction over a specific geographic
18area of more than 4,500 square miles must be physically present
19at the location of a closed meeting. Other members who are not
20physically present at a closed meeting of such a public body
21may participate in the meeting by means of a video or audio
22conference. For the purposes of this Section, "local workforce
23investment area" means any local workforce investment area or
24areas designated by the Governor pursuant to the federal
25Workforce Investment Act of 1998 or its reauthorizing
26legislation.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 96-664, eff. 8-25-09; 96-1043, eff. 1-1-11.)".
 
2    (5 ILCS 120/7)
3    Sec. 7. Attendance by a means other than physical presence.
4    (a) If a quorum of the members of the public body is
5physically present as required by Section 2.01, a majority of
6the public body may allow a member of that body to attend the
7meeting by other means if the member is prevented from
8physically attending because of: (i) personal illness or
9disability; (ii) employment purposes or the business of the
10public body; or (iii) a family or other emergency. "Other
11means" is by video or audio conference.
12    (b) If a member wishes to attend a meeting by other means,
13the member must notify the recording secretary or clerk of the
14public body before the meeting unless advance notice is
15impractical.
16    (c) A majority of the public body may allow a member to
17attend a meeting by other means only in accordance with and to
18the extent allowed by rules adopted by the public body. The
19rules must conform to the requirements and restrictions of this
20Section, may further limit the extent to which attendance by
21other means is allowed, and may provide for the giving of
22additional notice to the public or further facilitate public
23access to meetings.
24    (d) The limitations of this Section shall not apply to (i)
25closed meetings of (A) public bodies with statewide

 

 

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1jurisdiction, (B) Illinois library systems with jurisdiction
2over a specific geographic area of more than 4,500 square
3miles, or (C) municipal transit districts with jurisdiction
4over a specific geographic area of more than 4,500 square
5miles, or (D) local workforce investment areas with
6jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than 4,500
7square miles or (ii) open or closed meetings of State advisory
8boards or bodies that do not have authority to make binding
9recommendations or determinations or to take any other
10substantive action. State advisory boards or bodies, public
11bodies with statewide jurisdiction, Illinois library systems
12with jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than
134,500 square miles, and municipal transit districts with
14jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than 4,500
15square miles, and local workforce investment areas with
16jurisdiction over a specific geographic area of more than 4,500
17square miles, however, may permit members to attend meetings by
18other means only in accordance with and to the extent allowed
19by specific procedural rules adopted by the body. For the
20purposes of this Section, "local workforce investment area"
21means any local workforce investment area or areas designated
22by the Governor pursuant to the federal Workforce Investment
23Act of 1998 or its reauthorizing legislation.
24(Source: P.A. 96-664, eff. 8-25-09; 96-1043, eff. 1-1-11.)
 
25    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
26becoming law.