弗吉尼亚信息自由法案下的会议

弗吉尼亚信息自由法案(“VFOIA”)

If you work in 当地政府 within the Commonwealth, you are probably aware of VFOIA. 如果不是, 你熟悉这项法律是明智的, 因为它指导公共机构在各个方面应该如何运作. VFOIA, originally enacted in 1968, seeks to promote governmental transparency. 大会明确表达了这一观点, stating that VFOIA “ensures the people of the Commonwealth ready access to public records in the custody of a public body or its officers and employees, and free entry to meetings of public bodies wherein the business of the people is being conducted.”[1] 简而言之，弗吉尼亚支持并渴望开放政府. 尽管《亚洲博彩平台排名》规定了各种条款来实现其目的, the scope of this article is limited to what constitutes an open meeting under VFOIA.

公开会议 光泽v. 惠勒 887 S.E.2d 11 (Va). 2023) 

One way that VFOIA instructs a public body’s operation is by mandating that “[a]ll meetings . . . 应开放[.]”[2] 这个看似简单的声明却至关重要. 因为, 如果集会是《亚洲博彩平台排名》规定的“会议”, 那么，公共机构必须遵守某些法定义务. 例如, 公众集会必须得到适当的通知, 制定议程, 并将会议记录写下来. 因此, every public body subject to VFOIA should ask itself: what constitutes a meeting?

该法规设定了一个基线定义. 目前, 根据法令, “会议”是指包括工作会议在内的会议, 当你坐着的时候, 或根据§2通过电子通信手段.2-3708.2 or 2.2-3708.3, 作为一个整体或实体, or as an informal assemblage of (i) as many as three members or (ii) a quorum, 如果少于3个, 的组成成员, 无论举行, 不管有没有记录, 是否投票, 任何公共机构.”[3]

This broad definition is then qualified by two exceptions: “Neither the gathering of employees of a public body nor the gathering or attendance of two or more members of a public body (a) at any place or function where no part of the purpose of such gathering or attendance is the discussion or transaction of any public business, and such gathering or attendance was not called or prearranged with any purpose of discussing or transacting any business of the public body, 或(b)在公众论坛上, 候选人的外表, 或争论, the purpose of which is to inform the electorate and not to transact public business or to hold discussions relating to the transaction of public business, even though the performance of the members individually or collectively in the conduct of public business may be a topic of discussion 或争论 at such public meeting, 应视为“会议”，但须遵守本章的规定.” Va. 法典第2条.2-3701; 另请参阅 《亚洲博彩平台排名》理事会咨询行动. AO-02-06(3月15日, 2006) (discussing that a meeting must meet two elements: “(1) the presence of three or more members, 或者法定人数, 一个公共团体作为一个团体或集会而开会, and (2) the purpose of discussing or transacting the public business of that public body by those members.”). 弗吉尼亚最高法院, 去年5月, further developed the definition of a “meeting” by fleshing out the contours of an exception.

光泽的影响

发生在 光泽 involved the protests and civil unrest that occurred one night in May 2020 in Prince William County, 因为乔治·弗洛伊德的死. 抗议和内乱发生的第二天, the Police Chief and the Chair of the police department’s Citizens’ Advisory Board quickly orchestrated a gathering to discuss the previous night’s events. Invitations to the meeting were spread by word of mouth; Five members of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors (the “Board”) attended, 还有三名成员没有收到邀请. The meeting was conducted without complying with VFOIA’s open meeting requirements, 比如发出正式通知. 因为 at least three members of the Board (a public body) attended the meeting, 一些人参加了讨论, where part of its purpose was a discussion of the Board’s public business, 会议须遵守《亚洲博彩平台排名》的公开会议要求.

光泽在定义“公共事业”时，提出了重要的考虑因素.

1. A topic is the “business” of a public body if it relates to a subject falling within the public body’s purview.
2. A topic constituting “public business” under VFOIA “means business that is on a public body’s agenda or is likely to come before the public body in the foreseeable future.”[4]
3. It does not matter who raises the topic – it could be raised by a member of the public body, 另一名政府雇员, 或者是社区成员.

因此, 取决于讨论的内容, a gathering could transform into a meeting subject to VFOIA’s requirements. 异议凸显了这一事实, warning that the broadly defined “public business” would transform informational gatherings between citizens and government officials into VFOIA meetings. As a result of this decision, some public bodies altered their operations. 例如, the Hampton City Council contemplated establishing a rotating calendar to ensure that no more than two members attend a local meeting.[5]

《亚洲博彩平台排名》的立法更新 光泽

值得注意的是, a VFOIA bill recently went through the General Assembly to further clarify the definition of “meeting” and “public business”.[6]  似乎是在解决异见人士提出的一些担忧, the bill adds language to the definition of “meeting” by providing certain exemptions. It also expressly defines “public business” and declares that the new provisions are declarative of existing law. The Governor signed the bill on April 8, 2024, with it becoming effective on July 1, 2024. Public bodies need to ensure they are aware of these legislative updates as they seek to remain in compliance with their various obligations.

钻石 摆架子 是一个澳门亚洲博彩平台排名 & 科沃德律师专注于民事诉讼, 当地政府, 土地征用权/通行权及海旁法律事宜.

[1] Va. 法典第2条.2-3700.

[2] Va. 法典第2条.2-3707(A)

[3] Va. 法典第2条.2-3701

[4] 光泽, 887 S.E.2d at 28.

[5] Local governments grapple with public meetings law after Virginia Supreme Court ruling – The Virginian-Pilot (pilotonline.com)

[6] LIS > Bill Tracking > SB36 > 2024 session (virginia.gov)