Bill Text: GA HB1357 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Open and public meetings; posting and advertisement of tax assessors meetings; change requirements
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 6)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-16 - House Second Readers [HB1357 Detail]
Download: Georgia-2009-HB1357-Introduced.html
10 LC 18
9003
House
Bill 1357
By:
Representatives Knox of the
24th,
Rynders of the
152nd,
Battles of the
15th,
Smith of the
113th,
McCall of the
30th,
and others
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Code Section 50-14-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to open and public meetings, so as to change posting and advertisement
requirements for all meetings of county boards of tax assessors; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Code
Section 50-14-1 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to open and
public meetings, is amended by revising subsection (d) and adding a new
subsection to read as follows:
"(d)(1)
This subsection shall apply to all agency meetings except as otherwise provided
in subsection (d.1) of this Code section.
(2)
Every agency shall prescribe the time, place, and dates of regular meetings of
the agency. Such information shall be available to the general public and a
notice containing such information shall be posted and maintained in a
conspicuous place available to the public at the regular meeting place of the
agency. Meetings shall be held in accordance with a regular schedule, but
nothing in this subsection shall preclude an agency from canceling or postponing
any regularly scheduled meeting. Whenever any meeting required to be open to
the public is to be held at a time or place other than at the time and place
prescribed for regular meetings, the agency shall give due notice thereof. 'Due
notice' shall be the posting of a written notice for at least 24 hours at the
place of regular meetings and giving of written or oral notice at least 24 hours
in advance of the meeting to the legal organ in which notices of sheriff's sales
are published in the county where regular meetings are held or at the option of
the agency to a newspaper having a general circulation in said county at least
equal to that of the legal organ; provided, however, that in counties where the
legal organ is published less often than four times weekly 'due notice' shall be
the posting of a written notice for at least 24 hours at the place of regular
meetings and, upon written request from any local broadcast or print media
outlet whose place of business and physical facilities are located in the
county, notice by telephone or facsimile to that requesting media outlet at
least 24 hours in advance of the called meeting. When special circumstances
occur and are so declared by an agency, that agency may hold a meeting with less
than 24 hours' notice upon giving such notice of the meeting and subjects
expected to be considered at the meeting as is reasonable under the
circumstances including notice to said county legal organ or a newspaper having
a general circulation in the county at least equal to that of the legal organ,
in which event the reason for holding the meeting within 24 hours and the nature
of the notice shall be recorded in the minutes. Whenever notice is given to a
legal organ or other newspaper, that publication shall immediately make the
information available upon inquiry to any member of the public. Any oral notice
required or permitted by this subsection may be given by telephone.
(d.1)
Every county board of tax assessors shall prescribe the time, place, and dates
of regular meetings of the county board of tax assessors. Meetings shall be
held in accordance with a regular schedule, but nothing in this subsection shall
preclude an agency from canceling or postponing any regularly scheduled meeting.
Whenever any regular meeting of a county board of tax assessors is to be held or
whenever any meeting required to be open to the public is to be held at a time
or place other than at the time and place prescribed for regular meetings, the
county board of tax assessors shall give due notice thereof. 'Due notice' shall
be the posting of a written notice for at least one week at the place of regular
meetings and giving of written or oral notice at least one week in advance of
the meeting to the legal organ in which notices of sheriff's sales are published
in the county where regular meetings are held or at the option of the agency to
a newspaper having a general circulation in said county at least equal to that
of the legal organ. When special circumstances occur and are so declared by a
county board of tax assessors, that county board of tax assessors may hold a
meeting with less than one weeks' notice upon giving such notice of the meeting
and subjects expected to be considered at the meeting as is reasonable under the
circumstances including notice to said county legal organ or a newspaper having
a general circulation in the county at least equal to that of the legal organ,
in which event the reason for holding the meeting within less than one weeks'
time and the nature of the notice shall be recorded in the minutes. Whenever
notice is given to a legal organ or other newspaper, that publication shall
immediately make the information available upon inquiry to any member of the
public. Any oral notice required or permitted by this subsection may be given
by telephone."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
