New law requires Pa. agencies, towns, and school boards to give more notice of meetings (and what they’re doing)

Pennlive ^ | 1 July A.D. 2021 | Shaniece Holmes-Brown

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A new law is designed to give Pennsylvania citizens more information about what their elected officials are doing.

Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday signed into law a measure requiring state government agencies, school districts, and local municipalities to post their meeting agendas on their websites 24 hours in advance for public review. They also are required to make copies of the agenda available at their meetings, listing items that will be or may be the subject of deliberation.

The new law’s purpose is to enforce the “right of the public to be informed and present at their government’s proceedings,” according to a memo from the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Patrick Stefano, R-Fayette County.

Both chambers in the General Assembly unanimously approved the legislation to update the state’s Sunshine Act, also known as the Open Records Law.

If a town is going to vote on a tax increase or a new retail development or a school board is looking to approve a new building or program, they will be required to post those items on their agendas at least one full day in advance.

Under the new law, once an agenda is posted, officials cannot make decisions on items that don’t appear on the agenda, except in emergency situations and then only if they can achieve support from a majority of the members present.

Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, said currently, there is no standard practice by government agencies on informing the public about what is to be discussed at a forthcoming meeting.

Some post their agendas as this bill requires, some post “skeletal” agendas with few details, while some post nothing at all, she said.

Stefano said if government agencies are working correctly, this law will result in no change. “This is to help protect against the bad actors of the local authorities,” he said.

The state’s Office of Open Records executive director Liz Wagenseller called it a positive step towards increasing government accountability and citizen participation.

“The opportunity to review an agenda before a public meeting is a positive step towards increasing government accountability and citizen participation,” she said in a statement.

“Access to timely and relevant information is crucial to promoting open and knowledgeable dialogue between citizens and government officials, and we look forward to the continued work of the legislature to improve government responsiveness and transparency.”

The Office of Open Records will conduct a webinar on the Sunshine Act, including the new law, on July 14 at 10 a.m. The webinar is free and can be viewed at www.openrecords.pa.gov.

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My municipality has been excellent in making the monthly meeting agendas available days in advance with the caveat that it is subject to change until 4PM on the day of the meeting.

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