An Act updating the Open Meeting Law to support remote participation

This bill (SD 2185) updates Massachusetts' Open Meeting Law to formally allow public bodies (like city councils, school committees, and boards) to conduct meetings with remote participation. It requires that remote members can vote, count toward quorum, and be clearly audible to others, while mandating that public access to meetings must be free, real-time, and accessible via phone or internet. Municipalities must also create standards for remote participation before holding such meetings. The law ensures transparency by requiring public documents to be available and prohibiting fees for public access to virtual proceedings.