Florida Senate - 2016                                    SB 1482
       
       
        
       By Senator Soto
       
       14-00368-16                                           20161482__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to public meetings; amending s.
    3         286.011, F.S.; requiring specified boards and
    4         commissions to publish meeting agendas at least 48
    5         hours before a public meeting; specifying permissible
    6         means of publication; providing an exception for
    7         emergency and special meetings; providing that a board
    8         or commission has a continuing duty to update and
    9         republish agendas; providing for construction;
   10         providing an effective date.
   11          
   12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   13  
   14         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 286.011, Florida
   15  Statutes, is amended, and subsection (3) of that section is
   16  republished, to read:
   17         286.011 Public meetings and records; public inspection;
   18  criminal and civil penalties.—
   19         (1) All meetings of any board or commission of any state
   20  agency or authority or of any agency or authority of any county,
   21  municipal corporation, or political subdivision, except as
   22  otherwise provided in the State Constitution, including meetings
   23  with or attended by any person elected to such board or
   24  commission, but who has not yet taken office, at which official
   25  acts are to be taken are declared to be public meetings open to
   26  the public at all times, and no resolution, rule, or formal
   27  action shall be considered binding except as taken or made at
   28  such meeting. The board or commission must provide reasonable
   29  notice of all such meetings. In addition, the board or
   30  commission shall publish an agenda of all such meetings on its
   31  website at least 48 hours, excluding weekends and legal
   32  holidays, before the meetings begin. If the board or commission
   33  does not have a website, publication may be satisfied by posting
   34  a copy of the meeting agenda in any office of the board or
   35  commission which is accessible to the public or at the location
   36  where the noticed meeting is to take place. An emergency or
   37  special meeting is not subject to the 48-hour publication
   38  requirement; however, the board or commission shall publish the
   39  agenda for an emergency or special meeting as expeditiously as
   40  possible after providing reasonable notice of the meeting. The
   41  board or commission is not prohibited from adding agenda items
   42  after the initial publication of an agenda; however, the board
   43  or commission has a continuing duty to update and republish the
   44  agenda to include any additional items before the meeting
   45  begins. This section does not supersede additional restrictions
   46  or requirements regarding agenda publication provided by any
   47  other law.
   48         (3)(a) Any public officer who violates any provision of
   49  this section is guilty of a noncriminal infraction, punishable
   50  by fine not exceeding $500.
   51         (b) Any person who is a member of a board or commission or
   52  of any state agency or authority of any county, municipal
   53  corporation, or political subdivision who knowingly violates the
   54  provisions of this section by attending a meeting not held in
   55  accordance with the provisions hereof is guilty of a misdemeanor
   56  of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
   57  775.083.
   58         (c) Conduct which occurs outside the state which would
   59  constitute a knowing violation of this section is a misdemeanor
   60  of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s.
   61  775.083.
   62         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.