The-Sunshine-Act
General Info

House Bill Awaits Senate Approval To Ease Requirements Of Government Meetings

SHARE THIS
facebooktwittermail

House Bill 1564, which passed the House on Wednesday, would allow municipalities to conduct business through telecommunications devices during a statewide emergency declaration.

The Bill now goes to the State Senate.

Get Discover Card - Get $50!

The bill requires all council members to hear and make comments on issues. It also provides that a physical quorum is not necessary for the duration of the emergency to conduct business provided the following criteria are met.

The municipality must allow for public participation to the maximum extent available by doing at least one of the following.
  • By posting notice in the newspaper and on its website 24 hours in advance of the meeting on how to participate remotely.
  • By live streaming the meeting.
  • By recording the meeting and posting it on the website within 24 hours of the meeting.
  • By making a copy of the minutes available within 48 hours of the meeting.
If the municipality takes any executive, legislative, or judicial action throughout the duration of the emergency, the municipality must adopt a resolution at the first meeting after the end of the emergency detailing any and all actions taken during the emergency.
The amendment also allows municipalities to delay the approval of any and all applications that fall under the Development Extension Permit Act for the duration of the emergency. The following provisions apply.
  • This shall only apply if the final approval day falls within the duration of the emergency.
  • Any permit that falls in this time period shall have its process tolled for the duration of the emergency.
  • The municipality shall notify all applicants in writing of the tolling.
  • The applicant shall have the option to request a meeting during the emergency, but it shall be at the discretion of the municipality to go forward with the meeting.

 

Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.