1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to openness in government; expanding the 
  1.3             legislative open meetings law to cover caucuses and 
  1.4             conference committee negotiations; amending Minnesota 
  1.5             Statutes 2002, section 3.055, subdivision 1. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2002, section 3.055, 
  1.8   subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [MEETINGS TO BE OPEN.] (a) Meetings of the 
  1.10  legislature shall be open to the public, including sessions of 
  1.11  the senate, sessions of the house of representatives, joint 
  1.12  sessions of the senate and the house of representatives, and 
  1.13  meetings of a standing committee, committee division, 
  1.14  subcommittee, conference committee, or legislative commission, 
  1.15  but not including a caucus of the members of any of those bodies 
  1.16  from the same house and political party nor a delegation of 
  1.17  legislators representing a geographic area or political 
  1.18  subdivision.  For purposes of this section paragraph, a meeting 
  1.19  occurs when a quorum is present and action is taken regarding a 
  1.20  matter within the jurisdiction of the body. 
  1.21     (b) A meeting of a caucus of the members of the senate or 
  1.22  house or a committee, subcommittee, or division of the senate or 
  1.23  house from the same political party must be open to the public 
  1.24  if the caucus consists of at least seven members, but the 
  1.25  meeting may be closed to discuss matters listed in section 
  2.1   13D.05, subdivision 2, paragraph (a), clause (1), or (b), or 
  2.2   subdivision 3, paragraph (a).  A caucus of the Hennepin county, 
  2.3   Ramsey county, or St. Louis county delegation must be open to 
  2.4   the public.  For purposes of this paragraph, a meeting occurs 
  2.5   when a quorum is present and a matter within the jurisdiction of 
  2.6   the body is discussed. 
  2.7      (c) In addition to the openness requirements imposed on 
  2.8   conference committees by paragraph (a), from the time a 
  2.9   conference committee is appointed until it is disbanded, any 
  2.10  communication between senate and house members of the conference 
  2.11  committee or senate and house staff members assigned to the 
  2.12  conference committee that includes discussions relating to the 
  2.13  conference committee or the bill referred to the conference 
  2.14  committee must be open to the public.  This paragraph does not 
  2.15  apply, however, to: 
  2.16     (1) communication limited to the sole purpose of arranging 
  2.17  conference committee meeting times and schedules; or 
  2.18     (2) communication between or a meeting of legislative staff 
  2.19  members to prepare or revise bill drafts or to answer questions 
  2.20  or provide clarification on a proposal that has been put forward 
  2.21  in an open meeting so long as the staff communication or meeting 
  2.22  does not involve making a new offer from one house to the other. 
  2.23     (d) Each house shall provide by rule for posting notices of 
  2.24  meetings, recording proceedings, and making the recordings and 
  2.25  votes available to the public.