09 LC 28 4689/AP

House Bill 734 (AS PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)

By: Representative Hatfield of the 177th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend an Act providing a new charter for the City of Waycross, approved August 17, 1909 (Ga. L. 1909, p. 1456), as amended, particularly by an Act approved April 13, 1989 (Ga. L. 1989, p. 4916), so as to provide that citizens of the City of Waycross shall have the right to address or speak to the city commissioners on official actions or other topics relating to the business of the city commission at meetings of the city commission by expressing their desire to speak no later than the beginning of the meeting at which such citizens desire to address or speak to the city commissioners; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

An Act providing a new charter for the City of Waycross, approved August 17, 1909 (Ga. L. 1909, p. 1456), as amended, particularly by an Act approved April 13, 1989 (Ga. L. 1989, p. 4916), is amended by designating the present matter contained in Section 18 of the Act as subsection (a) and adding a new subsection (b) to read as follows:

"(b) Any citizen of the City of Waycross shall have the right to address or speak to the city commissioners for not longer than five minutes on official actions or other topics relating to the business of the city commission at meetings of the city commission by expressing his or her desire to speak no later than the beginning of the meeting at which such citizen desires to address or speak to the city commissioners. The city commission may enact reasonable restrictions on the exercise of such right, including, but not limited to, decorum and identification of speakers; provided, however, that the city commission shall not impose any requirements that such citizens sign up or express their desire to speak at any earlier time or date than provided in this subsection."

SECTION 2.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.