Bay State News

The Massachusetts legislature has decided to extend the rules allowing public bodies subject to the Open Meeting Law to conduct meetings virtually. This extension includes a remote access option for members of the public and will be in effect through June 2027.

Several advocacy groups have expressed their support for this decision. These groups include the ACLU of Massachusetts, Boston Center for Independent Living, Common Cause Massachusetts, Disability Law Center, League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association, MASSPIRG, New England First Amendment Coalition, and New England Newspaper & Press Association. They released a joint statement highlighting the importance of remote participation: “We are very glad that the legislature is stepping up to enable hybrid and remote meetings to continue. Without the ability to participate remotely, people across the Commonwealth would be shut out from important public conversations about government decisions that directly impact their lives."

The advocates are pushing for further legislative action with bill H.3299. This proposed legislation aims to permanently update the Open Meeting Law to require a hybrid meeting format. Such a change would ensure that members of the public can access and participate in public meetings remotely while maintaining the option of attending in person.

The statement from these organizations emphasizes their commitment: "Now, the next step is to permanently guarantee hybrid access to open meetings so equitable access cannot be denied from town to town or meeting to meeting. We look forward to working with House and Senate leadership to get this done this session.”