Florida Senate - 2024                       CS for CS for SB 224
       
       
        
       By the Committees on Rules; and Governmental Oversight and
       Accountability; and Senator Wright
       
       
       
       
       595-02682-24                                           2024224c2
    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 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, a regional
   22  citizen volunteer advisory committee, created to provide
   23  technical expertise and support to the National Estuary Program
   24  established by Congress under s. 320 of the Clean Water Act,
   25  whose membership is composed of representatives from four or
   26  more counties may conduct public meetings and workshops by means
   27  of communications media technology as defined in s.
   28  120.54(5)(b)2. An advisory committee member who participates in
   29  a public meeting or workshop by communications media technology
   30  is deemed to be present at the meeting or workshop. The use of
   31  communications media technology must allow for all persons
   32  attending the meeting or workshop to audibly communicate as if
   33  the person is physically present.
   34         (b) The notice for a public meeting or workshop must state
   35  whether the meeting or workshop will be conducted using
   36  communications media technology, how an interested person may
   37  participate, and the location of facilities where communications
   38  media technology will be available during the meeting or
   39  workshop.
   40         Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.