SB316 Summary

• Amends Alabama Open Meetings Act to allow governmental bodies comprised of members from two or more counties to conduct meetings where members participate remotely via electronic communications equipment that allows participants to see and hear each other.

• Remote participation now counts as presence in person for all purposes except establishing a quorum; requires majority of quorum to be physically present at noticed location to conduct business.

• Requires at least one physical location be available for public attendance with audio access to remote participants, and mandates governmental bodies provide public remote observation capability with notice of meeting details.

• Prohibits electronic participation by Board of Pardons and Paroles, Public Service Commission, legislative standing committees during session, school boards under Students First Act, quasi-judicial state bodies, licensing/professional censure hearings, and Alabama Ethics Commission.

• Members participating remotely cannot claim reimbursement for expenses including mileage and per diem; all votes must be conducted as individual roll call votes audible to all participants; becomes effective three months after passage.