HB 1440 -- Open Meetings and Records Law

Sponsor:  Roorda

This bill changes the laws regarding the Open Meetings and
Records Law, commonly known as the Sunshine Law.  The bill
requires each elected or appointed public official who is a
member of a public body to complete a one- to two-hour course
covering the responsibilities of public officials and the Open
Meetings Law as well as a separate one- to two-hour course
regarding the responsibilities of the public governmental body to
public information laws and open records.  Public officials may
designate a public information coordinator to satisfy the public
information laws and open records course requirement.  Each
public official must complete the courses within 90 days of
taking office.  The training must include general principles,
procedures, and applicability of the legal requirements for the
Sunshine Law.  Upon completion of the courses, the entity
providing the training must issue a certificate of course
completion to be maintained for public inspection by the public
governmental body in which the official serves.

The Office of the Attorney General must ensure that training is
made available to public officials and may provide courses or
approve any acceptable course offered by a public governmental
body as well as ensure that at least one course approved or
provided is made available in a videotape format and at no cost.
Any public official serving prior to the effective date of the
bill must complete the training requirements before January 1,
2010.

The bill becomes effective January 1, 2009.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:10 pm