Source: http://thevolunteertimes.com/campbell/category/tn-sunshine-law/
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 00:01:34+00:00

Document:
(a) The general assembly hereby declares it to be the policy of this state that the formation of public policy and decisions is public business and shall not be conducted in secret.
(b) This part shall not be construed to limit any of the rights and privileges contained in article I, § 19 of the Constitution of Tennessee.
HISTORY: Acts 1974, ch. 442, § § 1, 8; T.C.A., § 8-4401. § 8-44-102.
(a) All meetings of any governing body are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times, except as provided by the Constitution of Tennessee.
(c) Was authorized as of January 1, 1998, under state law to obtain coverage for its employees in the Tennessee consolidated retirement system.
(ii) The provisions of this subdivision (b)(1)(E) shall not be construed to require the disclosure of a trade secret or proprietary information held or used by an association or nonprofit corporation to which this chapter applies. In the event a trade secret or proprietary information is required to be discussed in an open meeting, the association or nonprofit corporation may conduct an executive session to discuss such trade secret or proprietary information; provided, that a notice of the executive session is included in the agenda for such meeting.
(2) “Meeting” means the convening of a governing body of a public body for which a quorum is required in order to make a decision or to deliberate toward a decision on any matter. “Meeting” does not include any on-site inspection of any project or program.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed as to require a chance meeting of two (2) or more members of a public body to be considered a public meeting. No such chance meetings, informal assemblages, or electronic communication shall be used to decide or deliberate public business in circumvention of the spirit or requirements of this part.
HISTORY: Acts 1974, ch. 442, § 2; 1979, ch. 411, §§ 1, 2; T.C.A., § 8-4402; Acts 1985, ch. 290, § 1, 2; 1986, ch. 594, § 1; 1988, ch. 908, §§ 3, 5; 1997, ch. 346, § 1; 1998, ch. 1102, §§ 1, 3. § 8-44-103.
(a) Notice of Regular Meetings. Any such governmental body which holds a meeting previously scheduled by statute, ordinance, or resolution shall give adequate public notice of such meeting.
(b) Notice of Special Meetings. Any such governmental body which holds a meeting not previously scheduled by statute, ordinance, or resolution, or for which notice is not already provided by law, shall give adequate public notice of such meeting.
(c) The notice requirements of this part are in addition to, and not in substitution of, any other notice required by law.
HISTORY: Acts 1974, ch. 442, § 3; T.C.A., § 8-4403.
(a) The minutes of a meeting of any such governmental body shall be promptly and fully recorded, shall be open to public inspection, and shall include, but not be limited to, a record of persons present, all motions, proposals and resolutions offered, the results of any votes taken, and a record of individual votes in the event of roll call.
(b) All votes of any such governmental body shall be by public vote or public ballot or public roll call. No secret votes, or secret ballots, or secret roll calls shall be allowed. As used in this chapter, “public vote” means a vote in which the “aye” faction vocally expresses its will in unison and in which the “nay” faction, subsequently, vocally expresses its will in unison.
HISTORY: Acts 1974, ch. 442, § 4; T.C.A., § 8-4404; Acts 1980, ch. 800, § 1.
Any action taken at a meeting in violation of this part shall be void and of no effect; provided, that this nullification of actions taken at such meetings shall not apply to any commitment, otherwise legal, affecting the public debt of the entity concerned.
HISTORY: Acts 1974, ch. 442, § 5; T.C.A., § 8-4405.
(a) The circuit courts, chancery courts, and other courts which have equity jurisdiction, have jurisdiction to issue injunctions, impose penalties, and otherwise enforce the purposes of this part upon application of any citizen of this state.
(b) In each suit brought under this part, the court shall file written findings of fact and conclusions of law and final judgments, which shall also be recorded in the minutes of the body involved.
(c) The court shall permanently enjoin any person adjudged by it in violation of this part from further violation of this part. Each separate occurrence of such meetings not held in accordance with this part constitutes a separate violation.
(d) The final judgment or decree in each suit shall state that the court retains jurisdiction over the parties and subject matter for a period of one (1) year from date of entry, and the court shall order the defendants to report in writing semiannually to the court of their compliance with this part.
HISTORY: Acts 1974, ch. 442, § 6; T.C.A., § 8-4406.
The board of directors of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center Management Corporation shall be subject to, and shall in all respects comply with, all of the provisions made applicable to governing bodies by this chapter.
HISTORY: Acts 1981, ch. 375, § 1.
(4) “State debt issuers” means the Tennessee state funding board, Tennessee local development authority, Tennessee housing development agency, and Tennessee state school bond authority, and any of their committees.
(b)(1) A governing body may, but is not required to, allow participation by electronic or other means of communication for the benefit of the public and the governing body in connection with any meeting authorized by law; provided, that a physical quorum is present at the location specified in the notice of the meeting as the location of the meeting.
(2) If a physical quorum is not present at the location of a meeting of a governing body, then in order for a quorum of members to participate by electronic or other means of communication, the governing body must make a determination that a necessity exists. Such determination, and a recitation of the facts and circumstances on which it was based, must be included in the minutes of the meeting.
(3) If a physical quorum is not present at the location of a meeting of a governing body other than a state debt issuer, the governing body other than a state debt issuer must file such determination of necessity, including the recitation of the facts and circumstances on which it was based, with the office of secretary of state no later than two (2) working days after the meeting. The secretary of state shall report, no less than annually, to the general assembly as to the filings of the determinations of necessity.
(c)(1) Any meeting held pursuant to the terms of this section shall comply with the requirements of the Open Meetings Law, codified in this part, and shall not circumvent the spirit or requirements of that law.
(2) Notices required by the Open Meetings Law, or any other notice required by law, shall state that the meeting will be conducted permitting participation by electronic or other means of communication.
(3) Each part of a meeting required to be open to the public shall be audible to the public at the location specified in the notice of the meeting as the location of the meeting. Each member participating electronically or otherwise must be able to simultaneously hear each other and speak to each other during the meeting. Any member participating in such fashion shall identify the persons present in the location from which the member is participating.
(4) Any member of a governing body not physically present at a meeting shall be provided, before the meeting, with any documents that will be discussed at the meeting, with substantially the same content as those documents actually presented.
(5) All votes taken during a meeting held pursuant to the terms of this section shall be by roll call vote.
(6) A member participating in a meeting by this means is deemed to be present in person at the meeting for purposes of voting, but not for purposes of determining per diem eligibility. However, a member may be reimbursed expenses of such electronic communication or other means of participation.
HISTORY: Acts 1990, ch. 815, § 1; 1999, ch. 490, § 1; 2005, ch. 82, § 1.

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