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House votes to modernize public meeting notices, allowing Internet posting with exemptions for small entities
Summary
House Bill 222 requires public meeting notices to be posted online with limited opt-outs for small municipalities and special districts; supporters say it increases public access and participation, and the bill passed 73-1.
The Utah House passed House Bill 222, a measure to require many local public bodies to post meeting notices on the Internet, with an allowance for very small entities to opt out and continue using traditional notice methods.
Representative John Dougal, sponsor, said HB222 “brings public notice of meetings into the 21st century” by requiring online posting while preserving a compliance pathway for entities with annual budgets under $1 million to use one newspaper or a local media correspondent instead. He said the bill also includes provisions for unforeseen technology failures.
Members questioned whether the change would eliminate newspaper notices; Dougal and others clarified that statutory legal notices (for example, truth-in-taxation hearings) remain required in newspapers, but the meeting agendas at issue have not historically required newspaper publication. Supporters highlighted the bill’s potential to expand access for residents who cannot attend in person.
The House approved the second substitute of HB222 by recorded vote, 73 yes and 1 no. The bill will be transmitted to the Senate.
