1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to local government; authorizing meetings to
1.3 	be held by telephone or other electronic means,
1.4 	setting conditions; proposing coding for new law in
1.5 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 13D.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [13D.021] LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEETINGS CONDUCTED
1.8 	BY TELEPHONE, OTHER ELECTRONIC MEANS.
1.9 		Subdivision 1.Application. This section applies to
1.10 	meetings of a local government governing body.  "Local
1.11 	government" means a statutory or home rule charter city, county,
1.12 	or town, or a committee, subcommittee, board, or commission of a
1.13 	statutory or home rule charter city, county, or town.
1.14 		Subd. 2.Conditions for meeting by telephone or other
1.15 	electronic means. Notwithstanding section 13D.01 and if
1.16 	complying with section 13D.02 is impractical, a local government
1.17 	governing body may conduct a meeting of its members by telephone
1.18 	or other electronic means so long as the following conditions
1.19 	are met:
1.20 	(1) all members of the governing body participating in the
1.21 	meeting, wherever their physical location, can hear one another
1.22 	and all discussion and testimony;
1.23 	(2) members of the public present at the regular meeting
1.24 	location of the governing body can hear all discussion and
1.25 	testimony and all votes of members of the board;
2.1 	(3) at least one member of the governing body is physically
2.2 	present at the regular meeting location; and 
2.3 	(4) all votes are conducted by roll call, so each member's
2.4 	vote on each issue can be identified and recorded.
2.5 		Subd. 3.Quorum. Each member of the governing body
2.6 	participating in a meeting by telephone or other electronic
2.7 	means is considered present at the meeting for purposes of
2.8 	determining a quorum and participating in all proceedings.
2.9 		Subd. 4.Remote monitoring. If telephone or other
2.10 	electronic means is used to conduct a meeting, the governing
2.11 	body, to the extent practical, shall allow a person to monitor
2.12 	the meeting electronically from a remote location.  The
2.13 	governing body may require the person making such a connection
2.14 	to pay for documented marginal costs that the governing body
2.15 	incurs as a result of the additional connection.
2.16 		Subd. 5.Notice. If telephone or other electronic means
2.17 	is used to conduct a regular, special, or emergency meeting, the
2.18 	governing body shall provide notice of the regular meeting
2.19 	location, of the fact that some members may participate by
2.20 	telephone or other electronic means, and of the provisions of
2.21 	subdivision 4.  The timing and method of providing notice is
2.22 	governed by section 13D.04.
2.23 	
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
2.24 	following final enactment.