Requires certain public meetings to be broadcast live (EG INCREASE SG EX See Note)

House Bill 615 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes 42:19(A)(1)(c) and 42:23(B) to expand the scope of public bodies required to broadcast their meetings live. The bill modifies the existing requirement that nonelected boards or commissions with tax-levying authority merely video or audio record their meetings by mandating that such bodies, along with state boards or commissions authorized to promulgate rules under the Administrative Procedure Act and state boards or commissions authorized to impose fines or fees, must now broadcast live all proceedings in public meetings. Additionally, the bill requires all recorded meetings to be maintained in an online archive on the board or commission's website for a minimum of two years. The legislation also amends the notice requirements in section 19 to require public bodies subject to the new broadcasting mandate to include sufficient information in their written meeting notices to enable the public to locate the broadcast online.

The practical impact falls most heavily on state boards and commissions that have rulemaking authority or the power to levy fines or fees, which previously had no broadcast requirement but must now provide live streaming of all regular and special meetings. Nonelected boards with tax authority, which previously only had to record meetings in some format, now face the specific obligation to stream broadcasts in real time. Local governments already subject to broadcasting requirements, including parish governing authorities and school boards in parishes with populations exceeding 25,000 and municipal councils in cities with populations exceeding 10,000, continue under existing law, though the amendment ensures their meeting notices include broadcast access information. Boards and commissions must also allocate resources to maintain archives of recorded meetings for at least two years on their websites. The public gains expanded access to the proceedings of these bodies through simultaneous real-time streaming rather than merely recorded materials.

House Bill 615 operates within Louisiana's Open Meetings Law framework established in Chapter 6 of Title 42 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes. The bill builds upon existing provisions that permit video and audio recording and live broadcasting while establishing uniform standards for certain categories of public bodies. The legislation preserves existing protections, including exemptions for executive sessions conducted in accordance with the Open Meetings Law and safe harbor provisions that shield public bodies from violation of broadcasting requirements when technological failures beyond their control prevent timely streaming or archiving. The amendments align with Louisiana's public records and transparency principles by establishing consistent technological accessibility standards across state regulatory boards and commissions while recognizing the varying capacities of different local government entities based on population thresholds.