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<section article="ggp" article_name="General Provisions" number="3-306" title_number="3" title_name="Open Meetings Act" subtitle_number="3" subtitle_name="Open Meetings Requirements">
  <level label="a">
    <text>This section does not:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>require any change in the form or content of the Journal of the Senate of Maryland or Journal of the House of Delegates of Maryland; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>limit the matters that a public body may include in its minutes.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, as soon as practicable after a public body meets, it shall have minutes of its session prepared.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A public body need not prepare minutes of an open session if:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>live and archived video or audio streaming of the open session is available; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the public body votes on legislation and the individual votes taken by each member of the public body who participates in the voting are posted promptly on the Internet.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The information specified under paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be deemed the minutes of the open session.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The minutes shall reflect:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>each item that the public body considered;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the action that the public body took on each item; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>each vote that was recorded.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>If a public body meets in closed session, the minutes for its next open session shall include:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a statement of the time, place, and purpose of the closed session;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>a record of the vote of each member as to closing the session;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>a citation of the authority under § 3–305 of this subtitle for closing the session; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>a listing of the topics of discussion, persons present, and each action taken during the session.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <level label="i">
        <text>A session may be recorded by a public body.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (4) of this subsection, the minutes and any recording of a closed session shall be sealed and may not be open to public inspection.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The minutes and any recording shall be unsealed and open to inspection as follows:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>for a meeting closed under § 3–305(b)(5) of this subtitle, when the public body invests the funds;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>for a meeting closed under § 3–305(b)(6) of this subtitle, when the public securities being discussed have been marketed; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>on request of a person or on the public body’s own initiative, if a majority of the members of the public body present and voting vote in favor of unsealing the minutes and any recording.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, minutes of a public body are public records and shall be open to public inspection during ordinary business hours.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>A public body shall keep a copy of the minutes of each session and any recording made under subsection (b)(2)(i) or (c)(3)(i) of this section for at least 5 years after the date of the session.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>To the extent practicable, a public body shall post online the minutes or recordings required to be kept under paragraph (1) of this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
