HB 2210 -- Open Meetings and Records Law

Sponsor:  Jones (89)

This bill changes the laws regarding the Open Meetings and
Records Law, commonly known as the Sunshine Law.  In its main
provisions, the bill:

(1)  Requires all records of the Missouri Ethics Commission to be
open records except for any investigative reports prepared by
commission employees regarding complaints that the commission
dismisses;

(2)  Requires all meetings of the commission to be open except
those in which the commission discusses a pending complaint;

(3)  Revises the definition of "public governmental body" to
include any organization, corporation, or other body receiving at
least 51% of its annual budget directly from public tax revenue
of governmental bodies or from the United States or any agency or
department that is a unit of a governmental body;

(4)  Revises the definition of "public record" to include any
lease, sublease, or rental agreement entered into by any public
governmental body or any sublease or agreement for the rental,
construction, or renovation of a public-owned facility;

(5)  Specifies that only members of a public governmental body,
their attorneys and staff assistants, and any necessary witnesses
will be permitted in any closed meeting of the governmental body;
and

(6)  Requires a court to order the reimbursement of reasonable
costs and attorney fees to the party successfully seeking
disclosure of information contained in an investigative report
compiled by a law enforcement agency that would otherwise be
closed to inspection.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:12 pm