An Act To Implement Recommendations of the Right To Know Advisory Committee Concerning Remote Participation in Public Proceedings
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1586
Committee: Judiciary
Amends: 1 MRSA §403-A, 32 MRSA §88, 39-A MRSA §151

Legislative Document 
No. 1586 
H.P. 1077 
House of Representatives, February 9, 2016 
An Act To Implement Recommendations of the Right To Know 
Advisory Committee Concerning Remote Participation in Public 
Proceedings 
Reported by Representative HOBBINS of Saco for the Joint Standing Committee on 
Judiciary pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 1, section 411, subsection 6, paragraph 
G. 
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 218. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
PART A 
Sec. A-1.  1 MRSA §403-A is enacted to read: 
§403-A.  Public proceedings through other means of communication 
1.  Requirements.  A body, except a publicly elected body, subject to this subchapter 
may conduct a public proceeding through telephonic, video, electronic or other similar 
means of communication only if the following requirements are met: 
A.  The body has adopted a written policy that authorizes a member of the body who 
is not physically present to participate in a public proceeding. The policy must 
establish criteria that must be met before a member may participate when not 
physically present. The policy may not allow a member who is not physically present 
to participate in an executive session; 
B.  Notice of the public proceeding has been given in accordance with section 406; 
C.  A quorum of the body is assembled physically at the location identified in the 
notice required by section 406, except that a body may convene a public proceeding 
by telephonic, video, electronic or other similar means of communication without a 
quorum if: 
(1)  An emergency has been declared in accordance with Title 22, section 802, 
subsection 2-A or Title 37-B, section 742; 
(2)  The public proceeding is necessary to take action to address the emergency; 
and 
(3)  The body otherwise complies with the provisions of this section to the extent 
practicable based on the circumstances of the emergency; 
D.  Each member of the body who is participating in the public proceeding is able to 
hear all the other members and speak to all the other members during the public 
proceeding, and members of the public attending the public proceeding in the 
location identified in the notice required by section 406 are able to hear all members 
participating from other locations; 
E.  Each member of the body who is not physically present and who is participating 
through telephonic, video, electronic or other similar means of communication 
identifies the persons present at the location from which the member is participating; 
F.  All votes taken during the public proceeding are taken by roll call vote; and 
G.  Each member of the body who is not physically present and who is participating 
through telephonic, video, electronic or other similar means of communication has 
received prior to the public proceeding any documents or other materials that will be 
discussed or presented at the public proceeding, with substantially the same content 
as those documents actually discussed or presented. Documents or other materials 
made available at the public proceeding may be transmitted to the member not 
physically present during the public proceeding if the transmission technology is 
available. Failure to comply with this paragraph does not invalidate the action of a 
body in a public proceeding. 
2.  Voting; quasi-judicial proceeding.  A member of a body who is not physically 
present and who is participating in a quasi-judicial public proceeding through telephonic, 
video, electronic or other similar means of communication may not vote on any issue 
concerning testimony or other evidence provided during the quasi-judicial public 
proceeding. For the purposes of this subsection, "quasi-judicial proceeding" means a 
proceeding in which the governing body is obligated to objectively determine facts and 
draw conclusions from the facts so as to provide the basis of an official action when that 
action may affect the legal rights, duties or privileges of specific persons. 
3.  Annual meeting.  If a body conducts one or more public proceedings pursuant to 
this section, it shall also hold at least one public proceeding annually during which 
members of the body in attendance are physically assembled at one location and where no 
members of the body participate by telephonic, video, electronic or other similar means 
of communication from a different location. 
PART B 
Sec. B-1.  32 MRSA §88, sub-§1, ¶D, as amended by PL 2007, c. 274, §19, is 
further amended to read: 
D.    A majority of the members appointed and currently serving constitutes a quorum 
for all purposes and no decision of the board may be made without a quorum present.  
A majority vote of those present and voting is required for board action, except that 
for purposes of either granting a waiver of any of its rules or deciding to pursue the 
suspension or revocation of a license, the board may take action only if the proposed 
waiver, suspension or revocation receives a favorable vote from at least 2/3 of the 
members present and voting and from no less than a majority of the appointed and 
currently serving members.   The board may use video conferencing and other 
technologies to conduct its business but is not exempt from Title 1, chapter 13, 
subchapter 1 subject to the requirements of Title 1, section 403-A.  Members of the 
board, its subcommittees or its staff may participate in a meeting of the board, 
subcommittees or staff via video conferencing, conference telephone or similar 
communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the 
meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this 
subsection constitutes presence in person at such meeting. 
Sec. B-2.  39-A MRSA §151, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2003, c. 608, §9, is 
further amended to read: 
5.  Voting requirements; meetings.  The board may take action only by majority 
vote of its membership.  The board may hold sessions at its central office or at any other 
place within the State and shall establish procedures through which members who are not 
physically present may participate by telephone or other remote-access technology but is 
not subject to the requirements of Title 1, section 403-A.  Regular meetings may be called 
by the executive director or by any 4 members of the board, and all members must be 
given at least 7 days' notice of the time, place and agenda of the meeting.  A quorum of 
the board is 4 members, but a smaller number may adjourn until a quorum is present.  
Emergency meetings may be called by the executive director when it is necessary to take 
action before a regular meeting can be scheduled.  The executive director shall make all 
reasonable efforts to notify all members as promptly as possible of the time and place of 
any emergency meeting and the specific purpose or purposes for which the meeting is 
called.  For an emergency meeting, the 4 members constituting a quorum must include at 
least one board member representing management and at least one board member 
representing labor. 
SUMMARY 
Part A of this bill allows members of a body subject to the Freedom of Access Act to 
participate in meetings of the body through telephonic, video, electronic or other similar 
means of communication under certain conditions; however, the bill does not allow 
members of publicly elected bodies to participate in public proceedings unless physically 
present. The body must have adopted a written policy authorizing remote participation 
with criteria that must be met before a member may participate remotely, but the policy 
may not allow a member to participate remotely in an executive session of the body. The 
bill also requires that notice of the proceeding must be given as if no members were 
participating remotely, each member of the body must be able to hear and speak to all 
other members, members of the public must be able to hear all members of the body, each 
member participating remotely must identify anyone else present at the location from 
which the member is participating, documents or materials discussed or presented at the 
proceeding must have been received by or transmitted to members participating remotely 
and all votes must be taken by roll call vote. A member who is not physically present may 
not vote in a quasi-judicial proceeding of the body. A quorum of the body must be 
physically present unless an emergency has been declared and the proceeding is 
necessary to address the emergency. If the body conducts proceedings with members 
participating remotely, the body must also hold at least one proceeding annually where no 
members participate remotely. 
Under current law, the following state agencies are authorized to use remote-access 
technology to conduct meetings: the Finance Authority of Maine, the Commission on 
Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, the Emergency Medical Services' Board and 
the Workers' Compensation Board. Part B provides a specific exemption from the new 
requirements for the Emergency Medical Services' Board and the Workers' Compensation 
Board and does not affect the existing authority of those agencies or the Finance 
Authority of Maine or the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to 
use remote-access technology to conduct meetings.