An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Right To Know Advisory Committee Concerning Remote Participation
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1971
Committee Amendment CA_A_H904 (House)
Amends: 1 MRSA §403-B

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'I/-" to H.P. 1466, L.D. 1971, "An Act To Implement 
the Recommendations of the Right To Know Advisory Committee Concerning Remote 
Participation" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 1 MRSA §403-B, sub-§2, ~]A, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 290, §1, is 
amended to read: 
A, After notice and hearing the body has adopted a written policy governing the 
conditions upon which members of the body and the public may participate in a public 
proceeding of that body by remote methodst 
(1) If a public body has not adopted a policy authorizing remote methods of 
participation under this section and if the chair of the body determines that an 
emergency or urgent issue exists that prevents the public body from meeting in 
person to adopt a policy. the chair may call a meeting of the body in which' the 
members may participate by remote methods. Notice of the meeting must include 
information about how the public can participate in the meeting and the proposed 
policy or instructions on how to obtain a copy of the proposed policy in advance 
of the meeting. Once the meeting is convened, the members shall vote on whether 
to support the chair's determination that an emergency or urgent issue exists that 
prevents the public body from meeting in person. 
(2) If 2/3 of the members vote in support of the chair's determination under 
subparagraph (1). after an opportunity for hearing. the members may vote on 
whether to adopt a policy authorizing remote methods of participation in public 
proceedings of the body under this section; 
Sec. 2. 1 MRSA §403-B, sub-§2, ,ili, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 290, §1, is 
amended to read: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~os 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT '*to H.P. 1466, L.D. 1971 
H. The public body must make all documents and other materials considered by the 
public body available, electronically or otherwise, to the public who attend by remote 
methods to the same extent customarily available to members of the public who attend 
the proceedings of the public body in person, as long as additional costs are not incurred 
by the public body. The public body must make the proposed policy regarding remote 
participation available in advance of the meeting if meeting remotely under paragraph 
A, subparagraphs (1) and (2).' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill to add the requirement that the proposed remote 
participation policy be included with the notice of the remote meeting called to adopt the 
policy or that the notice include instructions on how to obtain a copy of the proposed policy 
in advance of the meeting. 
The amendment requires that 2/3 of the members of the public body vote to support 
the chair's determination that an emergency or urgent issue exists that requires the 
convening of the remote meeting. The bill requires only a majority vote in support. 
The amendment also amends the current law that applies to the obligation of public 
bodies to make documents available to the public to ensure that access to the proposed 
remote participation policy is provided in advance of the remote meeting called to adopt 
the policy. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT