PRINTER'S NO. 1582
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
1137
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY WARD, VOGEL, VULAKOVICH, HUTCHINSON, RAFFERTY,
DINNIMAN, HAYWOOD AND STEFANO, MARCH 7, 2016
REFERRED TO APPROPRIATIONS, MARCH 7, 2016
AN ACT
Amending Title 65 (Public Officers) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in open meetings, further providing
for definitions, for open meetings and for public notice.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The definition of "public notice" in section 703
of Title 65 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended
and the section is amended by adding a definition to read:
§ 703. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
* * *
"Budget meeting." A gathering of any member of the executive
branch of the government of this Commonwealth, including a
member of the Governor's Cabinet, and any member of the General
Assembly, which is called for the purpose of negotiating a
budget for the fiscal year.
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* * *
"Public notice."
(1) For a meeting:
(i) Publication of notice of the place, date and
time of a 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 any newspaper published in the political
subdivision.
(ii) Posting a notice of the place, date and time 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.
(iii) Giving notice to parties under section 709(c)
(relating to public notice).
(2) For a recessed or reconvened meeting:
(i) Posting a notice of the place, date and time of
the 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.
(ii) Giving notice to parties under section 709(c).
(3) For a budget meeting:
(i) Posting a notice of the place, date and time of
the budget meeting prominently on the official, publicly
accessible Internet website of the General Assembly and
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, using hypertext markup
language (HTML) format or an equivalent language format.
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(ii) Posting a notice of the place, date and time of
the budget 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.
* * *
Section 2. Section 704 of Title 65 is amended to read:
§ 704. Open meetings.
Official action and deliberations by a quorum of the members
of an agency shall take place at a meeting open to the public
unless closed under section 707 (relating to exceptions to open
meetings), 708 (relating to executive sessions) or 712 (relating
to General Assembly meetings covered). An open meeting shall
include a budget meeting held after June 30 when a State budget
for the same fiscal year:
(1) has not been enacted by the General Assembly and
signed into law by the Governor; or
(2) has been disapproved by the Governor as provided for
in section 16 of Article IV of the Constitution of
Pennsylvania.
Section 3. Section 709 of Title 65 is amended by adding a
subsection to read:
§ 709. Public notice.
* * *
(f) Budget meetings.--Each budget meeting shall be held
within the Capitol Complex. The requirement for public notice
shall be complied with if, not later than one hour prior to the
budget meeting:
(1) The supervisor of the newsroom of the State Capitol
Building in Harrisburg is supplied for distribution to the
members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Correspondents
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Association with a minimum of 30 copies of the notice of the
date, time and place of the budget meeting.
(2) There is a posting of a copy of the notice at public
places within the Main Capitol Building, as designated by the
Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the House of
Representatives.
Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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