SPONSOR:	Rep. K. Williams & Sen. Peterson
	Reps. Bennett, Collins, Keeley, Kowalko, Lynn, Mulrooney; Sen. Ennis

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

148th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 279

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PUBLIC COMMENT AT OPEN MEETINGS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend § 10004, Title 29 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 10004. Open meetings.

(j) Public comment shall be permitted at all meetings subject to this section of any board, bureau, commission, department, agency, committee, ad hoc committee, special committee, temporary committee, advisory board and committee, subcommittee, legislative committee, association, group, panel, or council. Each person seeking to exercise such opportunity for public comment shall be permitted a minimum of one minute to speak.

SYNOPSIS

This bill would require that public comment be permitted at all open meetings of any board, bureau, commission, department, agency, committee, ad hoc committee, special committee, temporary committee, advisory board and committee, subcommittee, legislative committee, association, group, panel or council. The minimum time will be one minute. Maximum time and procedural rules are left to the discretion of the meeting body.