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Committee approves bill allowing county and regional library boards to meet remotely, adds community service boards
Summary
The State Planning & Community Affairs committee approved House Bill 516 to permit county and regional library boards to conduct meetings through teleconferencing. Testimony cited difficulties recruiting trustees and maintaining quorums; an amendment added community service boards created under Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 37.
Representative Neu presented House Bill 516 (LC 473413), which would allow county and regional library boards of trustees to hold meetings through teleconferencing. Julie Walker, identified in the transcript as a Georgia librarian, testified in support of the bill and described practical challenges facing library boards.
“It would be extremely helpful to have this virtual option for these unpaid, busy trustees who provide meaningful governance for and support for our libraries,” Walker said, noting that some regional systems cover up to seven counties and that trustees often have difficulty making long drives to night meetings.
Walker told the committee there are 60 county and regional library systems in Georgia and that boards are required to meet at least quarterly, though practice varies: some meet monthly, some every other month, and others quarterly. Committee members pressed on whether the change was an extension of pandemic-era remote allowances. Walker said the pandemic emergency order temporarily permitted remote meetings, but that once the emergency order expired state law reverted to its previous limits and libraries were not included in permanent remote-meeting provisions.
Representative Mary Margaret Oliver proposed—and Representative Neu accepted—an amendment to add community service boards created pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 37 as an additional category eligible to meet remotely. The amendment language recorded in the transcript would become subsection (f) and read: “community service boards created pursuant to article 1 of chapter 2 of title 37.” Committee members indicated they would receive a copy of the amendment language.
The committee approved House Bill 516 as amended by voice vote. The transcript records a second and voice approval but does not provide a roll-call tally.
The sponsors and witnesses framed the change as a governance tool intended to make it easier for unpaid trustees to participate and to improve board representation from all counties within regional systems.
