Florida Senate - 2024                                     SB 224
       
       
        
       By Senator Wright
       
       
       
       
       
       8-00403-24                                             2024224__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to citizen volunteer advisory
    3         committees; amending s. 286.011, F.S.; authorizing
    4         specified regional citizen volunteer advisory
    5         committees to conduct public meetings and workshops by
    6         means of communications media technology; providing
    7         that the use of such technology by a member
    8         constitutes that member’s presence at the meeting or
    9         workshop; requiring that such technology allow all
   10         persons to audibly communicate; providing notice
   11         requirements for public meetings or workshops
   12         conducted by means of communications media technology;
   13         providing construction; providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Subsection (9) is added to section 286.011,
   18  Florida Statutes, to read:
   19         286.011 Public meetings and records; public inspection;
   20  criminal and civil penalties.—
   21         (9)(a) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, regional
   22  citizen volunteer advisory committees whose membership is
   23  composed solely of representatives from four or more counties
   24  may conduct public meetings and workshops by means of
   25  communications media technology as defined in s. 120.54(5)(b)2.
   26  An advisory committee member who participates in a public
   27  meeting or workshop by communications media technology is deemed
   28  to be present at the meeting or workshop. The use of
   29  communications media technology must allow for all persons
   30  attending the meeting or workshop to audibly communicate as if
   31  the person is physically present.
   32         (b) The notice for a public meeting or workshop must state
   33  whether the meeting or workshop will be conducted using
   34  communications media technology, how an interested person may
   35  participate, and the location of facilities where communications
   36  media technology will be available during the meeting or
   37  workshop.
   38         (c) Any other laws applicable to public meetings or
   39  workshops conducted by means of communications media technology
   40  must be liberally construed in their application to meetings and
   41  workshops conducted as provided in this subsection.
   42         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.