Open Meeting Law Guide

What Are Open Meeting Laws?

Every state in the United States has enacted some form of open meeting law — commonly referred to as "sunshine laws" — requiring governmental bodies to conduct their official business in public. These laws exist to ensure transparency, protect the public's right to observe government decision-making, and prevent backroom deals that undermine democratic accountability.

While the core principles are consistent nationwide, each state's law goes by a different name and carries its own specific requirements. In California, it is the Ralph M. Brown Act. Florida has the Government in the Sunshine Law. Texas operates under the Open Meetings Act. Other examples include Virginia's Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA), Illinois' Open Meetings Act, and New York's Open Meetings Law.

Regardless of what they are called, these laws share a common goal: the people's business must be done in the open, with proper notice, meaningful access, and an accurate public record.

Common Requirements

While the details vary by state, most open meeting laws address the same core areas. Understanding these common requirements helps clerks build processes that stay compliant regardless of their jurisdiction.

• Advance notice of meetings — Most states require 24 to 72 hours of advance notice before a public meeting. California's Brown Act mandates 72 hours for regular meetings and 24 hours for special meetings. Many states require posting in a consistent, publicly accessible location.
• Publicly posted agendas — The agenda must be made available to the public before the meeting. In many jurisdictions, action may only be taken on items listed on the posted agenda, ensuring the public knows what will be discussed.
• Public comment periods — Citizens must be given the opportunity to address the legislative body. Some states require comment periods on each agenda item; others mandate a general public comment period. Time limits and sign-up procedures vary.
• Meeting minutes — Official minutes must be taken, approved, and made publicly available. Minutes typically document motions, votes, and key actions taken but may not need to be verbatim transcriptions unless required by local ordinance.
• Restrictions on closed sessions — Most states narrowly define when a body may meet in closed (executive) session. Common exceptions include litigation, real estate negotiations, labor negotiations, and personnel matters. The body must publicly report out of closed session.
• Quorum requirements — A majority of the body's members (a quorum) must be present to conduct business. Serial meetings — where a quorum is reached through a chain of one-on-one conversations — are prohibited under most open meeting laws.

Key Compliance Areas

Open meeting compliance can be organized into three critical areas. Each represents a category of requirements that municipal clerks must actively manage.

How CivicCA Helps

CivicCA was built from the ground up with open meeting compliance in mind. Every feature maps directly to a compliance requirement, so clerks can focus on their work instead of worrying about whether they have missed a legal obligation.