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<subtitle article="ggp" title_number="3" subtitle_number="1" title_name="Open Meetings Act" subtitle_name="Definitions; General Provisions">
  <section article="ggp" article_name="General Provisions" number="3-101" title_number="3" title_name="Open Meetings Act" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Definitions; General Provisions">
    <level label="a">
      <text>In this title the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="b">
      <level label="1">
        <text>“Administrative function” means the administration of:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>a law of the State;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>a law of a political subdivision of the State; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iii">
          <text>a rule, regulation, or bylaw of a public body.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>“Administrative function” does not include:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>an advisory function;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>a judicial function;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iii">
          <text>a legislative function;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iv">
          <text>a quasi–judicial function; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="v">
          <text>a quasi–legislative function.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="c">
      <text>“Advisory function” means the study of a matter of public concern, or the making of recommendations on the matter, under a delegation of responsibility by:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>law;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>the Governor or an official who is subject to the policy direction of the Governor;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>the chief executive officer of a political subdivision of the State or an official who is subject to the policy direction of the chief executive officer; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="4">
        <text>formal action by or for a public body that exercises an administrative function, judicial function, legislative function, quasi–judicial function, or quasi–legislative function.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="d">
      <text>“Board” means the State Open Meetings Law Compliance Board.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="d–1">
      <text>“Class on the open meetings law” means:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>an online class on the requirements of the open meetings law offered by the Office of the Attorney General and the University of Maryland’s Institute for Governmental Service and Research;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>a class on the requirements of the open meetings law offered by the Maryland Association of Counties or the Maryland Municipal League through the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>a class on the requirements of the open meetings law offered by the Maryland Association of Boards of Education through the Boardsmanship Academy Program.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="e">
      <level label="1">
        <text>“Judicial function” means the exercise of any power of the Judicial Branch of the State government.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>“Judicial function” includes the exercise of:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>a power for which Article IV, § 1 of the Maryland Constitution provides;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>a function of a grand jury;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iii">
          <text>a function of a petit jury;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iv">
          <text>a function of the Commission on Judicial Disabilities; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="v">
          <text>a function of a judicial nominating commission.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>“Judicial function” does not include the exercise of rulemaking power by a court.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="f">
      <text>“Legislative function” means the process or act of:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>approving, disapproving, enacting, amending, or repealing a law or other measure to set public policy;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>approving or disapproving an appointment;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>proposing or ratifying a constitution or constitutional amendment; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="4">
        <text>proposing or ratifying a charter or charter amendment.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="g">
      <text>“Meet” means to convene a quorum of a public body to consider or transact public business.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="h">
      <level label="1">
        <text>“Public body” means an entity that:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>consists of at least two individuals; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>is created by:</text>
          <level label="1">
            <text>the Maryland Constitution;</text>
          </level>
          <level label="2">
            <text>a State statute;</text>
          </level>
          <level label="3">
            <text>a county or municipal charter;</text>
          </level>
          <level label="4">
            <text>a memorandum of understanding or a master agreement to which a majority of the county boards of education and the State Department of Education are signatories;</text>
          </level>
          <level label="5">
            <text>an ordinance;</text>
          </level>
          <level label="6">
            <text>a rule, resolution, or bylaw;</text>
          </level>
          <level label="7">
            <text>an executive order of the Governor; or</text>
          </level>
          <level label="8">
            <text>an executive order of the chief executive authority of a political subdivision of the State.</text>
          </level>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>“Public body” includes:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>any multimember board, commission, or committee appointed by the Governor or the chief executive authority of a political subdivision of the State, or appointed by an official who is subject to the policy direction of the Governor or chief executive authority of the political subdivision, if the entity includes in its membership at least two individuals not employed by the State or the political subdivision;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>any multimember board, commission, or committee that:</text>
          <level label="1">
            <text>is appointed by:</text>
          </level>
          <level label="A">
            <text>an entity in the Executive Branch of the State government, the members of which are appointed by the Governor, and that otherwise meets the definition of a public body under this subsection; or</text>
          </level>
          <level label="B">
            <text>an official who is subject to the policy direction of an entity described in item A of this item; and</text>
          </level>
          <level label="2">
            <text>includes in its membership at least two individuals who are not members of the appointing entity or employed by the State; and</text>
          </level>
        </level>
        <level label="iii">
          <text>The Maryland School for the Blind.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>“Public body” does not include:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>any single member entity;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>any judicial nominating commission;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iii">
          <text>any grand jury;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iv">
          <text>any petit jury;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="v">
          <text>the Appalachian States Low Level Radioactive Waste Commission established in § 7–302 of the Environment Article;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="vi">
          <text>except when a court is exercising rulemaking power, any court established in accordance with Article IV of the Maryland Constitution;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="vii">
          <text>the Governor’s cabinet, the Governor’s Executive Council as provided in Title 8, Subtitle 1 of the State Government Article, or any committee of the Executive Council;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="viii">
          <text>a local government’s counterpart to the Governor’s cabinet, Executive Council, or any committee of the counterpart of the Executive Council;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ix">
          <text>except as provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection, a subcommittee of a public body as defined in paragraph (2)(i) of this subsection;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="x">
          <text>the governing body of a hospital as defined in § 19–301 of the Health – General Article; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="xi">
          <text>a self–insurance pool that is established in accordance with Title 19, Subtitle 6 of the Insurance Article or § 9–404 of the Labor and Employment Article by:</text>
          <level label="1">
            <text>a public entity, as defined in § 19–602 of the Insurance Article; or</text>
          </level>
          <level label="2">
            <text>a county or municipal corporation, as described in § 9–404 of the Labor and Employment Article.</text>
          </level>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="i">
      <text>“Quasi–judicial function” means a determination of:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>a contested case to which Title 10, Subtitle 2 of the State Government Article applies;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>a proceeding before an administrative agency for which Title 7, Chapter 200 of the Maryland Rules would govern judicial review; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>a complaint by the Board in accordance with this title.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="j">
      <text>“Quasi–legislative function” means the process or act of:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>adopting, disapproving, amending, or repealing a rule, regulation, or bylaw that has the force of law, including a rule of a court;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>approving, disapproving, or amending a budget; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="3">
        <text>approving, disapproving, or amending a contract.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="k">
      <text>“Quorum” means:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>a majority of the members of a public body; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>the number of members that the law requires.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </section>
  <section article="ggp" article_name="General Provisions" number="3-102" title_number="3" title_name="Open Meetings Act" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Definitions; General Provisions">
    <level label="a">
      <text>It is essential to the maintenance of a democratic society that, except in special and appropriate circumstances:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>public business be conducted openly and publicly; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>the public be allowed to observe:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>the performance of public officials; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>the deliberations and decisions that the making of public policy involves.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="b">
      <level label="1">
        <text>The ability of the public, its representatives, and the media to attend, report on, and broadcast meetings of public bodies and to witness the phases of the deliberation, policy formation, and decision making of public bodies ensures the accountability of government to the citizens of the State.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>The conduct of public business in open meetings increases the faith of the public in government and enhances the effectiveness of the public in fulfilling its role in a democratic society.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="c">
      <text>Except in special and appropriate circumstances when meetings of public bodies may be closed under this title, it is the public policy of the State that the public be provided with adequate notice of the time and location of meetings of public bodies, which shall be held in places reasonably accessible to individuals who would like to attend these meetings.</text>
    </level>
  </section>
  <section article="ggp" article_name="General Provisions" number="3-103" title_number="3" title_name="Open Meetings Act" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Definitions; General Provisions">
    <level label="a">
      <text>Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section and § 3–104 of this subtitle, this title does not apply to:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>a public body when it is carrying out:</text>
        <level label="i">
          <text>an administrative function;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="ii">
          <text>a judicial function; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="iii">
          <text>a quasi–judicial function; or</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>a chance encounter, a social gathering, or any other occasion that is not intended to circumvent this title.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="b">
      <text>This title applies to a public body when it is meeting to consider:</text>
      <level label="1">
        <text>granting a license or permit; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="2">
        <text>a special exception, variance, conditional use, or zoning classification, the enforcement of any zoning law or regulation, or any other zoning matter.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </section>
  <section article="ggp" article_name="General Provisions" number="3-104" title_number="3" title_name="Open Meetings Act" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Definitions; General Provisions">
    <text>If a public body recesses an open session to carry out an administrative function in a meeting that is not open to the public, the minutes for the public body’s next meeting shall include:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>a statement of the date, time, place, and persons present at the administrative function meeting; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>a phrase or sentence identifying the subject matter discussed at the administrative function meeting.</text>
    </level>
  </section>
  <section article="ggp" article_name="General Provisions" number="3-105" title_number="3" title_name="Open Meetings Act" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Definitions; General Provisions">
    <text>Whenever this title and another law that relates to meetings of public bodies conflict, this title applies unless the other law is more stringent.</text>
  </section>
</subtitle>