PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES & VOTING

House Bill 5580

Sponsor:  Rep. Greg MacMaster

Committee:  Oversight

Complete to 9-8-14

A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 5580 AS INTRODUCED 5-14-14

The bill would amend the Open Meeting Act (MCL 15.269) to require that public bodies[1] include all topics of discussion in their minutes, eliminate anonymity in voting, and provide more detail about discussions if there was no electronic recording of the meeting. 

Now under the law, every public body must keep minutes of each meeting to show the meeting time, date, place, members present, members absent, any decisions made, and the purpose for which a closed session is held. Minutes must also include all roll call votes taken.  

House Bill 5580 would retain these requirements, and add that:  

o                    The minutes would also have to include "all matters considered by the public body."

o                    If any decision on any policy matter was not unanimous, then the minutes would have to indicate "how each member voted."

o                    If the public body did not retain an electronic recording or record of the meeting, then the minutes would have to include the main points of the discussion that supported and opposed each measure, including the name, subject matter, and a summary of the remarks for each person who addressed the public body.

FISCAL IMPACT:

Because the additional requirements for meeting minutes likely could be managed with existing resources, the bill likely would not have a significant fiscal impact on the state or local units of government. 

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   J. Hunault

                                                                                                   Fiscal Analyst:   Marilyn Peterson

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.

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