PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act To Implement Recommendations of the Right To Know Advisory Committee Concerning Remote Participation in Public Proceedings
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
PART A
Sec. A-1.  1 MRSA §403-A  is enacted to read:
§ 403-A. Public proceedings through other means of communication
 
1.  Requirements.     A body, except a publicly elected body, subject to this subchapter may conduct a public proceeding through telephonic, video, electronic or other similar means of communication only if the following requirements are met:
 
A.  The body has adopted a written policy that authorizes a member of the body who is not physically present to participate in a public proceeding. The policy must establish criteria that must be met before a member may participate when not physically present. The policy may not allow a member who is not physically present to participate in an executive session;
 
B.  Notice of the public proceeding has been given in accordance with section 406;
 
C.  A quorum of the body is assembled physically at the location identified in the notice required by section 406, except that a body may convene a public proceeding by telephonic, video, electronic or other similar means of communication without a quorum if:
 
(1) An emergency has been declared in accordance with Title 22, section 802, subsection 2-A or Title 37-B, section 742;
 
(2) The public proceeding is necessary to take action to address the emergency; and
 
(3) The body otherwise complies with the provisions of this section to the extent practicable based on the circumstances of the emergency;
 
D.  Each member of the body who is participating in the public proceeding is able to hear all the other members and speak to all the other members during the public proceeding, and members of the public attending the public proceeding in the location identified in the notice required by section 406 are able to hear all members participating from other locations;
 
E.  Each member of the body who is not physically present and who is participating through telephonic, video, electronic or other similar means of communication identifies the persons present at the location from which the member is participating;
 
F.  All votes taken during the public proceeding are taken by roll call vote; and
 
G.  Each member of the body who is not physically present and who is participating through telephonic, video, electronic or other similar means of communication has received prior to the public proceeding any documents or other materials that will be discussed or presented at the public proceeding, with substantially the same content as those documents actually discussed or presented. Documents or other materials made available at the public proceeding may be transmitted to the member not physically present during the public proceeding if the transmission technology is available. Failure to comply with this paragraph does not invalidate the action of a body in a public proceeding.
 
2.  Voting; quasi-judicial proceeding.     A member of a body who is not physically present and who is participating in a quasi-judicial public proceeding through telephonic, video, electronic or other similar means of communication may not vote on any issue concerning testimony or other evidence provided during the quasi-judicial public proceeding. For the purposes of this subsection, "quasi-judicial proceeding" means a proceeding in which the governing body is obligated to objectively determine facts and draw conclusions from the facts so as to provide the basis of an official action when that action may affect the legal rights, duties or privileges of specific persons.
 
3.  Annual meeting.     If a body conducts one or more public proceedings pursuant to this section, it shall also hold at least one public proceeding annually during which members of the body in attendance are physically assembled at one location and where no members of the body participate by telephonic, video, electronic or other similar means of communication from a different location.
PART B
Sec. B-1. 32 MRSA §88, sub-§1, ¶D, as amended by PL 2007, c. 274, §19, is further amended to read:
 
D.  A majority of the members appointed and currently serving constitutes a quorum for all purposes and no decision of the board may be made without a quorum present. A majority vote of those present and voting is required for board action, except that for purposes of either granting a waiver of any of its rules or deciding to pursue the suspension or revocation of a license, the board may take action only if the proposed waiver, suspension or revocation receives a favorable vote from at least 2/3 of the members present and voting and from no less than a majority of the appointed and currently serving members. The board may use video conferencing and other technologies to conduct its business but is not exempt from Title 1, chapter 13, subchapter 1subject to the requirements of Title 1, section 403-A. Members of the board, its subcommittees or its staff may participate in a meeting of the board, subcommittees or staff via video conferencing, conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this subsection constitutes presence in person at such meeting.
Sec. B-2. 39-A MRSA §151, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2003, c. 608, §9, is further amended to read:
 
5. Voting requirements; meetings.   The board may take action only by majority vote of its membership. The board may hold sessions at its central office or at any other place within the State and shall establish procedures through which members who are not physically present may participate by telephone or other remote-access technology but is not subject to the requirements of Title 1, section 403-A. Regular meetings may be called by the executive director or by any 4 members of the board, and all members must be given at least 7 days' notice of the time, place and agenda of the meeting. A quorum of the board is 4 members, but a smaller number may adjourn until a quorum is present. Emergency meetings may be called by the executive director when it is necessary to take action before a regular meeting can be scheduled. The executive director shall make all reasonable efforts to notify all members as promptly as possible of the time and place of any emergency meeting and the specific purpose or purposes for which the meeting is called. For an emergency meeting, the 4 members constituting a quorum must include at least one board member representing management and at least one board member representing labor.
 
SUMMARY
Part A of this bill allows members of a body subject to the Freedom of Access Act to participate in meetings of the body through telephonic, video, electronic or other similar means of communication under certain conditions; however, the bill does not allow members of publicly elected bodies to participate in public proceedings unless physically present. The body must have adopted a written policy authorizing remote participation with criteria that must be met before a member may participate remotely, but the policy may not allow a member to participate remotely in an executive session of the body. The bill also requires that notice of the proceeding must be given as if no members were participating remotely, each member of the body must be able to hear and speak to all other members, members of the public must be able to hear all members of the body, each member participating remotely must identify anyone else present at the location from which the member is participating, documents or materials discussed or presented at the proceeding must have been received by or transmitted to members participating remotely and all votes must be taken by roll call vote. A member who is not physically present may not vote in a quasi-judicial proceeding of the body. A quorum of the body must be physically present unless an emergency has been declared and the proceeding is necessary to address the emergency. If the body conducts proceedings with members participating remotely, the body must also hold at least one proceeding annually where no members participate remotely.
Under current law, the following state agencies are authorized to use remote-access technology to conduct meetings: the Finance Authority of Maine, the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, the Emergency Medical Services' Board and the Workers' Compensation Board. Part B provides a specific exemption from the new requirements for the Emergency Medical Services' Board and the Workers' Compensation Board and does not affect the existing authority of those agencies or the Finance Authority of Maine or the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to use remote-access technology to conduct meetings.