Pennsylvania Code › Title 4 - ADMINISTRATION › Part I - GOVERNOR's OFFICE › Chapter 1 - AGENCY OPERATION AND ORGANIZATION › Subchapter C - INTERPRETATION OF THE SUNSHINE ACT OF 1986 AS APPLIED TO EXECUTIVE AGENCIES › Section 1.53 - Notice

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a)
Publication.
In accordance with procedures established by the
				  Department of General Services, an agency shall publish notice of the place,
				  date, time and purpose of an open meeting in a newspaper of general
				  circulation, as defined by
				  45 Pa.C.S. §
											101
				  (relating to definitions), which is published and circulated in the political
				  subdivision where the meeting will be held or in a newspaper of general
				  circulation which has a
bona fide
paid circulation in the
				  political subdivision equal to or greater than a newspaper published in the
				  political subdivision.
(b)
Posting.
The agency shall post a notice of the place, date,
				  time and purpose of a meeting prominently at the principal office of the agency
				  holding the meeting or at the public building in which the meeting is to be
				  held.
(c)
Direct
				  notice.
The agency shall supply a copy of the notice of an open
				  meeting directly to individuals with a direct and substantial interest in the
				  proceedings of the agency and, upon request, to other interested parties,
				  including, but not limited to, members of the public, newspapers of general
				  circulation, radio and television stations. A party requesting direct notice of
				  meetings shall register with the agency, but the agency may not require the
				  provision of stamped, self-addressed envelopes as provided by section 9(c) of
				  the Sunset Act (65 P. S. §
											279(c)).
(d)
Capitol newsroom and General
				  Assembly.
An executive agency shall also provide copies of meeting
				  notices to the supervisor of the newsroom in the State Capitol Building in the
				  manner provided by section 9(d)(1) of the Sunshine Act, to the Office of the
				  Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives and
				  to the Chairperson and Minority Chairpersons of standing committees of the
				  Senate and the House of Representatives designated as responsible for oversight
				  of agency activities under the Regulatory Review Act (71 P. S. §
											§
											745.1-745.15).
(e)
Agency contact.
A notice
				  provided under this section shall include the name, address, title and phone
				  number of a responsible agency official who will be available to answer
				  questions about a scheduled public meeting.
(f)
Use of recording devices.
If an agency, under §
										1.56(b) (relating
				  to use of recording devices), requires advance notification of the intent of
				  persons to utilize recording devices at an open meeting in order to provide
				  adequate facilities and arrangements to facilitate the use of the devices, the
				  information shall be included within notices provided under this section,
				  together with instructions that the individuals shall notify the agency contact
				  as provided by subsection (e) about their plans and requirements.
(g)
Relocation of meetings.
If, due to overcrowding, the malfunction of utilities or the unavailability of
				  an originally scheduled meeting room it becomes necessary to relocate a
				  meeting, new and separate notice under this section is not required if the new
				  meeting site is within the same building or within reasonable proximity of the
				  originally scheduled meeting site and, if the following exist:
(1) Notice is prominantly posted at the
				  original site announcing the relocation of the meeting.
(2) The start of the meeting is delayed a
				  sufficient period of time in order to allow individuals arriving at the
				  original meeting site to move to the new meeting site.
(3) If possible and appropriate, direct
				  notice of the change in location is given to the Capitol Newsroom, persons
				  offering official testimony at the meeting, persons registering the use of
				  recording devices under §
											1.56(b)(1) and
				  persons with a direct and substantial interest in agency proceedings to be
				  conducted at the meeting.