This chapter contains procedures regarding the conduct of persons attending open meetings, and the recording and broadcasting of open meetings. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. Terms Defined. “Department” means the Maryland Department of Transportation and includes the Office of the Secretary, all units in the Department as set forth in Transportation Article, §2-107, Annotated Code of Maryland, and all boards, commissions, authorities, and councils within the Department, except for the Maryland Port Commission and Maryland Port Administration. “Open session” means any meeting of the Department required to be open to the public pursuant to the Open Meetings Act, State Government Article, Title 10, Subtitle 5, Annotated Code of Maryland. The general public is invited to attend and observe any open session of the Department. Except in instances when the Department expressly invites public testimony, questions, comments, or other forms of public participation, or when public participation is otherwise authorized by law, a member of the general public attending an open session may not participate in the session. An individual attending an open session of the Department may not engage in any conduct, including but not limited to visual demonstrations such as the display of placards, signs, or banners, that disrupts the session or interferes with the right of members of the public to attend and observe the session. The presiding officer may: Order a person who engages in conduct prohibited by §A of this regulation or who violates any other regulation concerning the conduct of the open session to be removed from the session; Request police or other assistance to restore order; and Recess the open session while order is restored. A member of the general public, including any representative of the news media, may: Record discussions of the Department at an open session by means of a tape recorder or other recording device if the device does not create noise that disturbs members of the Department or others attending the open session; Photograph or videotape the proceedings of the Department at an open session if the camera is operated without excessively bright artificial light or noise that disturbs members of the Department or others attending the open session. A representative of the news media may broadcast or televise the proceedings of the Department at an open session if the equipment used: Is operated without excessively bright artificial light that disturbs members of the Department or others attending the open session; and Does not create noise that disturbs members of the Department or others attending the open session. The presiding officer may restrict the movement of a person who is using a recording device, camera, or broadcasting or televising equipment if the restriction is necessary to maintain the orderly conduct of the open session. A recording of an open session by a member of the public, including a representative of the news media, or any transcript derived from a recording, is not a part of the record of any proceeding of the open session. Transportation Article, §2-103; State Government Article, §10-507; Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: January 15, 1973 Chapter, Adoption of Regulations, repealed effective March 6, 1981 (8:5 Md. R. 475) Regulations .01—.06, Open Meetings, adopted effective May 24, 1993 (20:10 Md. R. 852) Regulation .02B amended effective August 28, 1995 (22:17 Md. R. 1319)