HOUSE BILL NO. 6481

December 02, 2020, Introduced by Rep. LaGrand and referred to the Committee on Local Government and Municipal Finance.

"Open meetings act,"

by amending section 8 (MCL 15.268), as amended by 2018 PA 467.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 8. A public body may meet in a closed session only for the following purposes:

(a) To consider the dismissal, suspension, or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, or to consider a periodic personnel evaluation of, a public officer, employee, staff member, or individual agent, if the named person requests a closed hearing. A person requesting a closed hearing may rescind the request at any time, in which case the matter at issue shall must be considered after the rescission only in open sessions.

(b) To consider the dismissal, suspension, or disciplining of a student if the public body is part of the school district, intermediate school district, or institution of higher education that the student is attending, and if the student or the student's parent or guardian requests a closed hearing.

(c) For strategy and negotiation sessions connected with the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement if either negotiating party requests a closed hearing.

(d) To consider the purchase or lease of real property up to the time an option to purchase or lease that real property is obtained.

(e) To consult with its attorney regarding trial or settlement strategy in connection with specific pending litigation, but only if an open meeting would have a detrimental financial effect on the litigating or settlement position of the public body.

(f) To review and consider the contents of an application for employment or appointment to a public office if the candidate requests that the application remain confidential. However, except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, all interviews by a public body for employment or appointment to a public office shall must be held in an open meeting pursuant to under this act. This subdivision does not apply to a public office described in subdivision (j).

(g) Partisan caucuses of members any of the following:

(i) Members of the state legislature.

(ii) Members of a county board of commissioners.

(h) To consider material exempt from discussion or disclosure by state or federal statute.

(i) For a compliance conference conducted under section 16231 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.16231, before a complaint is issued.

(j) In the process of searching for and selecting a president of an institution of higher education established under section 4, 5, or 6 of article VIII of the state constitution of 1963, to review the specific contents of an application, to conduct an interview with a candidate, or to discuss the specific qualifications of a candidate if the particular process of searching for and selecting a president of an institution of higher education meets all of the following requirements:

(i) The search committee in the process, appointed by the governing board, consists of at least 1 student of the institution, 1 faculty member of the institution, 1 administrator of the institution, 1 alumnus of the institution, and 1 representative of the general public. The search committee also may include 1 or more members of the governing board of the institution, but the number shall must not constitute a quorum of the governing board. However, the search committee shall not be constituted in such a way that any 1 of the groups described in this subparagraph constitutes a majority of the search committee.

(ii) After the search committee recommends the 5 final candidates, the governing board does not take a vote on a final selection for the president until at least 30 days after the 5 final candidates have been publicly identified by the search committee.

(iii) The deliberations and vote of the governing board of the institution on selecting the president take place in an open session of the governing board.

(k) For a school board to consider security planning to address existing threats or prevent potential threats to the safety of the students and staff. As used in this subdivision, "school board" means any of the following:

(i) That term as defined in section 3 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.3.

(ii) An intermediate school board as that term is defined in section 4 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.4.

(iii) A board of directors of a public school academy as described in section 502 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.502.

(iv) The local governing board of a public community or junior college as described in section 7 of article VIII of the state constitution of 1963.