Missouri Governor Signs Law Expanding Public Access to Government Records

Missouri Gov. Bob Holden signed a bill into law that will increase penalties for violations of the state's open meeting laws and will help ensure that advances in technology, including telephone conferences and e-mail discussions, do not hinder the public's right to government information.

New provisions of the law establish up to a $1,000 penalty for a public official who knowingly violates the law and $5,000 penalty for a purposeful violation of the law. Current law allows for fines of no more than $500 and only for purposeful violations.

"Public access and scrutiny of governmental activities are essential to democracy," said Holden. "These changes will make certain our laws keep up-to-date with changing technology and continue to provide meaningful deterrents to those who would stand in the way of the public's right to know."

The law also requires that meetings conducted by telephone or other electronic means include notice of the mode by which the meeting will be conducted and where the public may attend the meeting. Notice for such meetings must be posted on the Web site of the public body. Any electronic transmission related to public business must be copied to the custodian of records when the message is sent by a member of the governmental body to a majority of the body's members.

Other provisions of the new law include:

• New guidelines for copying charges by public agencies;



• Removal of provisions prohibiting law enforcement agencies from releasing accident or incident reports for 60 days;



• Defining the University of Missouri Board of Curators and the Bi-State Development Agency as "public governmental bodies" for purposes of the open meetings law;



• Requiring minutes of closed meeting be taken and retained by governmental bodies;



• Establishing guidelines for closing records of agencies responsible for responding to or preventing terrorist incidents.