HB195 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Randy Davis

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Alabama Open Meetings Act, prohibit serial meetings, to clarify Open Meetings Act applies to meeting of the Legislature, committees, or subcommittees of governmental bodies, penalties, Secs. 36-25A-1, 36-25A-2, 36-25A-3, 36-25A-9 am'd.

Summary

HB195 would define and prohibit serial meetings, strengthen public access to government meetings, and impose civil penalties for violations, while narrowing the Open Meetings Act’s reach to the Legislature as governed by the Alabama Constitution.

What This Bill Does

If passed, the bill would (1) define and prohibit serial meetings where a series of discussions among a quorum is used to influence votes without proper public notice; (2) clarify what counts as deliberation, a governmental body, and a meeting, including that electronic communications must not be used to circumvent open meetings rules; (3) reaffirm that the Legislature is governed by the Alabama Constitution and not by this act; (4) allow private citizens to sue for violations and provide for civil penalties paid to the plaintiff, with minimum and maximum amounts; and (5) strengthen notice and posting requirements for meetings and outline enforcement mechanisms.

Who It Affects

• Governmental bodies and their members, who would be subject to serial meeting prohibitions, public notice requirements, and potential penalties for violations.
• Private citizens, media, the Attorney General, and district attorneys, who would have standing to file civil actions to enforce the Open Meetings Act and potentially receive penalties.
• The Alabama Legislature, which would be expressly exempt from the Act’s provisions beyond what the Constitution requires, maintaining open doors as dictated by the Constitution.

Key Provisions

• Defines and prohibits serial meetings; establishes how a series of gatherings by two or more members can still be treated as a violation if it circumvents public notice and deliberation requirements.
• Clarifies definitions of deliberation, governmental body, and meeting, including rules about prearranged gatherings and who must be present to count toward a quorum.
• Affirms that the Alabama Legislature is governed by the Alabama Constitution and that no other provision of the Open Meetings Act applies to the Legislature.
• Reaffirms private citizens’ right to bring civil actions under the Open Meetings Act and sets penalties payable to the plaintiff, with a minimum of $1 and a maximum of either $1,000 per meeting or 1/2 the defendant’s monthly salary, whichever is less.
• Establishes enforcement mechanisms by allowing civil actions brought by media, Alabama citizens, the Attorney General, or the district attorney; outlines preliminary hearing, discovery schedules, and final orders.
• Imposes explicit notice and posting requirements for meetings, including posting to the Secretary of State for statewide bodies, direct notice to registered individuals or media, and local posting requirements for municipal and other local bodies.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Open Meetings