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Senate advances bill updating open-meeting rules, requires more access for some public bodies
Summary
The Vermont Senate advanced S55, a rewrite of the state open-meeting law that distinguishes advisory from non-advisory public bodies, requires state-level non-advisory boards to meet in hybrid mode and encourages recordings and access requests. The bill orders a Department/agency reporting and training requirements and was amended by appropriations provisions before the Senate ordered third reading.
The Vermont Senate on the floor advanced S55, a package of changes to the state's open-meeting law intended to preserve public access while recognizing differing capacities of public bodies.
Senator Madison, sponsor of the government-operations committee report, told colleagues the bill seeks "to ensure government transparency and accountability and underscores the public's right to know what its government is doing." She said the bill defines "advisory body" and distinguishes advisory from non-advisory bodies when setting permitted meeting modes.
Under S55 as presented, state-level non-advisory boards (for example, the State Board of Education, the Green Mountain Care Board and other boards with legislative or quasi-judicial authority) would be required to offer hybrid meetings and to record and…
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