                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

MEETINGS TO BE PUBLIC; NOTICE OF MEETINGS; RECORDINGS; MINUTES (§ 2.2-3707)

A. All meetings of public bodies shall be open, except as provided in
&#xA7;&#xA7; 2.2-3707.01 and 2.2-3711.

B. All state public bodies subject to the provisions of this chapter:

   1. May allow public access to their meetings through electronic communication
   means, including telephone or videoconferencing, if already used by the state
   public body;

   2. May provide the public with the opportunity to comment through the use of
   such electronic communication means at such meetings at the point when public
   comment is customarily received; and

   3. Shall otherwise comply with the provisions of this chapter.
   				No cause of action shall arise against a state public body for accidental
   or involuntary loss of audio or video signal or inability of the public to
   comment through the electronic communications means described in this
   subsection.

C. No meeting shall be conducted through telephonic, video, electronic, or other
electronic communication means where the members are not physically assembled to
discuss or transact public business, except as provided in &#xA7;&#xA7;
2.2-3708.2 and 2.2-3708.3 or as may be specifically provided in Title 54.1 for
the summary suspension of professional licenses.

D. Every public body shall give notice of the date, time, location, and remote
location, if required, of its meetings by:

   1. Posting such notice on its official public government website, if any;

   2. Placing such notice in a prominent public location at which notices are
   regularly posted; and

   3. Placing such notice at the office of the clerk of the public body or, in
   the case of a public body that has no clerk, at the office of the chief
   administrator.
   				All state public bodies subject to the provisions of this chapter shall
   also post notice of their meetings on a central, publicly available electronic
   calendar maintained by the Commonwealth. Publication of meeting notices by
   electronic means by other public bodies shall be encouraged.
   				The notice shall be posted at least three working days prior to the
   meeting.

E. Notice, reasonable under the circumstance, of special, emergency, or
continued meetings shall be given contemporaneously with the notice provided to
the members of the public body conducting the meeting.

F. Any person may annually file a written request for notification with a public
body. The request shall include the requester&#8217;s name, address, zip code,
daytime telephone number, electronic mail address, if available, and
organization, if any. The public body receiving such request shall provide
notice of all meetings directly to each such person. Without objection by the
person, the public body may provide electronic notice of all meetings in
response to such requests.

G. At least one copy of the proposed agenda and all agenda packets and, unless
exempt, all materials furnished to members of a public body for a meeting shall
be made available for public inspection at the same time such documents are
furnished to the members of the public body. The proposed agendas for meetings
of state public bodies where at least one member has been appointed by the
Governor shall state whether or not public comment will be received at the
meeting and, if so, the approximate point during the meeting when public comment
will be received.

H. Any person may photograph, film, record, or otherwise reproduce any portion
of a meeting required to be open. The public body conducting the meeting may
adopt rules governing the placement and use of equipment necessary for
broadcasting, photographing, filming, or recording a meeting to prevent
interference with the proceedings, but shall not prohibit or otherwise prevent
any person from photographing, filming, recording, or otherwise reproducing any
portion of a meeting required to be open. No public body shall conduct a meeting
required to be open in any building or facility where such recording devices are
prohibited.

I. Minutes shall be taken at all open meetings. However, minutes shall not be
required to be taken at deliberations of (i) standing and other committees of
the General Assembly; (ii) legislative interim study commissions and committees,
including the Virginia Code Commission; (iii) study committees or commissions
appointed by the Governor; or (iv) study commissions or study committees, or any
other committees or subcommittees appointed by the governing bodies or school
boards of counties, cities, and towns, except where the membership of any such
commission, committee, or subcommittee includes a majority of the governing body
of the county, city, or town or school board.
			Minutes, including draft minutes, and all other records of open meetings,
including audio or audio/visual records shall be deemed public records and
subject to the provisions of this chapter.
			Minutes shall be in writing and shall include (a) the date, time, and
location of the meeting; (b) the members of the public body recorded as present
and absent; and (c) a summary of the discussion on matters proposed,
deliberated, or decided, and a record of any votes taken. In addition, for
electronic communication meetings conducted in accordance with &#xA7; 2.2-3708.2
or 2.2-3708.3, minutes shall include (1) the identity of the members of the
public body who participated in the meeting through electronic communication
means, (2) the identity of the members of the public body who were physically
assembled at one physical location, and (3) the identity of the members of the
public body who were not present at the location identified in clause (2) but
who monitored such meeting through electronic communication means.

HISTORY: 1968, c. 479, § 2.1-343; 1973, c. 461; 1976, c. 467; 1977, c. 677;
1982, c. 333; 1989, c. 358; 1990, c. 538; 1993, c. 720; 1995, c. 562; 1999, cc.
696, 703, 726; 2000, c. 227; 2001, c. 844; 2004, cc. 730, 768; 2005, c. 352;
2007, c. 300; 2009, c. 628; 2010, c. 309; 2015, c. 131; 2017, c. 616; 2018, c.
55; 2022, c. 597; 2023, c. 536.