OPEN MEETINGS ACT; AG COMMODITY GROUPS H.B. 4603:
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 4603 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Joseph N. Bellino, Jr.
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Open Meetings Act to allow, on and after March 31, 2021, an agriculture commodity group to hold a public meeting electronically or telephonically under any circumstances.
The Open Meetings Act requires all meetings of a public body to be open to the public and to be held in a place available to the general public. All decisions of a public body must be made at a meeting open to the public. The Act allows a meeting of a public body to be held, in whole or in part, electronically by telephonic or video conferencing as prescribed by the Act under the following circumstances:
-- On and after March 31, 2021, through December 31, 2021, only under those circumstances requiring accommodation of members absent because of military duty, a medical condition, or a statewide or local state of emergency or state of disaster.
-- After December 31, 2021, only under circumstances requiring accommodation of members absent because of military duty.
Under the bill, on and after March 31, 2021, a public body that was an agricultural commodity group could hold a meeting, in whole or in part, electronically by telephonic or video conferencing under any circumstances, including any of the circumstances requiring accommodation of a member absent because of military duty, a medical condition, or a statewide or local state of emergency or state of disaster.
"Agricultural commodity group" would mean any of the following:
-- A committee as that term is defined in Section 2 of the Agricultural Commodities Marketing Act.
-- The State Beef Industry Commission.
-- The Potato Industry Commission.
-- The Michigan Bean Commission.
(Under Section 2 of the Agricultural Commodities Marketing Act, "committee" means the commodity committee or advisory board established under a marketing program. These include the following: the Michigan Apple Committee, the Michigan Asparagus Marketing Advisory Board, the Michigan Blueberry Commission, the Michigan Carrot Commission, the Michigan Cherry Committee, the Michigan Corn Marketing Program Committee, the Michigan Dairy Marketing Program Committee, the Michigan Onion Committee, the Michigan Soybean
Committee, the Michigan Tree Fruit Commission, and the Michigan Wheat Promotion Committee.)
MCL 15.263a Legislative Analyst: Jeff Mann
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have a minimal fiscal impact on State and local government. However, the bill could result in savings to the State if conducting meetings by video conference resulted in a lower cost as compared with in-person meetings, which may involve per diem costs paid to committee members and other in-person meeting expenses.
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.