Florida Senate - 2012 CS for SB 396 By the Committee on Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities; and Senators Oelrich and Gaetz 579-01833-12 2012396c1 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to intergovernmental cooperation; 3 amending s. 163.01, F.S.; authorizing certain parties 4 to an interlocal agreement to conduct public meetings 5 and workshops by means of communications media 6 technology; providing notice requirements; providing a 7 definition; providing an effective date. 8 9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 10 11 Section 1. Subsection (18) is added to section 163.01, 12 Florida Statutes, to read: 13 163.01 Florida Interlocal Cooperation Act of 1969.— 14 (18) Any separate legal entity created under subsection (7) 15 which has member public agencies located in at least five 16 counties, of which at least three are not contiguous, may 17 conduct public meetings and workshops by means of communications 18 media technology. The notice for any such public meeting or 19 workshop shall state that the meeting or workshop will be 20 conducted through the use of communications media technology; 21 specify how persons interested in attending may do so; and 22 provide a location where communications media technology 23 facilities are available. The participation by an officer, board 24 member, or other representative of a member public agency in a 25 meeting or workshop conducted through communications media 26 technology constitutes that individual’s presence at such 27 meeting or workshop. As used in this subsection, the term 28 “communications media technology” means conference telephone, 29 video conference, or other communications technology by which 30 all persons attending a public meeting or workshop may audibly 31 communicate. 32 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.