SS/SCS/HS/HCS/HB 1095 - This act revises several sections of Chapter 610, the "Sunshine Law". New provisions include:

1) The definition of "public governmental body" is broadened to include independent advisory committees, but does not include the staff of any higher education administrator's staff;

2) "Public meeting" would officially include the polling of members of a public governmental body by electronic means while conducting public business;

3) "Public record" excludes work completed by an employee of a public body if the work was done at the request of an individual member;

4) All votes taken in a closed meeting of a public body must be by roll call, including those regarding legal actions, real estate or personnel matters;

5) Notices of public meetings must advise the public of the actual matters to be considered and must be given to the media concurrent with the membership of the public body. The meeting place must be large enough to accommodate the anticipated public attendance and the public is allowed to observe an "electronic" meeting at a central designated location;

6) Clarification that settlements relating to legal actions of the body or its agents will be made public upon final disposition of the matter, unless closed by court order;

7) Any meeting that is closed shall be closed only to the extent necessary, allowing the public to remain at the location to attend any subsequent open meeting sessions;

8) Public governmental bodies are prevented from forming contracts with any entity that provides exclusive access and ability to disseminate open records, unless the contract promotes uniformity among industry regulators;

9) Public bodies must certify that duplication fees are limited to the cost of document search and duplication or, if stored on tape or disk, the cost of the tape or disk;

10) Individual members of a public governmental body, in addition to the body itself, may be held liable for violations of the open records law;

11) Any body retaining its records in an electronic format is encouraged to make electronic access available to the public;

12) Statutes relating to closed records would apply to records of municipal hotlines and the work product of an auditor's office; and

13) Municipal utilities would be allowed to apply the rules applicable to other utility providers to determine if business documents must be released publically.
DENISE GARNIER

SA 1 - REGISTRATION OF SEXUAL OFFENDERS SA 2 - AS AMENDED - REPORTING OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES TO CENTRAL REPOSITORY FOR CHAPTER 552 PROCEEDINGS SA 4 - UNPAID CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO HAVE SAME CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXEMPTION AS LEGISLATORS SA 5 - DOCUMENTS THAT MUST BE SUBMITTED TO DETERMINE A GROUP'S ACTURIAL RISK WITHIN THE MISSOURI CONSOLIDATED HEALTH PLAN SA 6 - PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING PUBLIC RECORDS FOR A COMMERCIAL PURPOSE SA 7 - PROHIBITS BULK DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL MOTOR VEHICLE INFORMATION SA 8 - ALLOWS STATE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE STEPPARENTS TO TAKE LEAVE TO CARE FOR STEPCHILDREN SA 9 - LIMITS ACCESS TO ACCIDENT REPORTS TO INTERESTED PARTIES SA 10 - DOCUMENTS RELATING TO EXPOSURE TO COMMUNICABLE DISEASES BY PEACE OFFICERS SA 11 - PERSONAL INFORMATION OF STATE EMPLOYEES NOT TO BE RELEASED WITHOUT CONSENT SA 12 - ROLL CALL OF CLOSED VOTES ON PERSONNEL MATTERS MUST BE ACCESSIBLE SA 13 - EMPLOYEE WHO IS SUBJECT OF CLOSED PERSONNEL MEETING CAN REQUEST THE PROCEEDING BE OPEN SA 14 - HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION GOVERNING BODIES SHALL INCLUDE A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE SA 15 - LEGISLATORS AND LAWYERS MAY SERVE AS A SURETY FOR BAIL BONDS SA 17 - MODIFIES STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR VIOLATIONS OF CHAPTER 610