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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0973*
HOUSE BILL 973
F1, P3 6lr3529
By: Delegate Miller
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Government, Labor, and Elections
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Open Meetings Act – Enhanced Requirements for Educational Entities and 2
Retention Requirements 3
FOR the purpose of making certain enhanced Open Meetings Act requirements applicable 4
to certain educational entities; requiri ng certain entities subject to enhanced Open 5
Meetings Act requirements to retain certain meeting minutes and recordings for a 6
certain period of time; and generally relating to the Open Meetings Act and 7
educational entities. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – General Provisions 10
Section 3–307 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – General Provisions 16
3–307. 17
(a) This section applies only to the following public bodies: 18
(1) the Board of Directors of the Bainbridge Development Corporation; 19
(2) the Canal Place Preservation and Development Authority; 20
(3) the Maryland 9–1–1 Board; 21
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(4) the Board of Directors of the Maryland Agricultural and 1
Resource–Based Industry Corporation; 2
(5) the Board of Directors of the Maryland Clean Energy Center; 3
(6) the Board of Directors of the Maryland Economic Development 4
Corporation; 5
(7) the Board of Directors of the Maryland Environmental Service; 6
(8) the Maryland Food Center Authority; 7
(9) the Maryland Health and Higher Educational Facilities Authority; 8
(10) the Maryland Industrial Development Financing Authority; 9
(11) the Maryland Stadium Authority; 10
(12) the Maryland Transportation Authority; 11
(13) the Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority; 12
(14) the Public Service Commission; 13
(15) the State Board of Elections; 14
(16) the Maryland Technology Development Corporation; 15
(17) the Historic St. Mary’s City Commission; 16
(18) the State Ethics Commission; 17
(19) the Maryland Aviation Commission; [and] 18
(20) the Maryland Department of Transportation, with respect to quarterly 19
public meetings held by the Vision Zero coordinator on the implementation of Vision Zero 20
under § 8–1004 of the Transportation Article; 21
(21) THE MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; 22
(22) THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION BOARD 23
ESTABLISHED UNDER § 5–402 OF THE EDUCATION ARTICLE; AND 24
(23) THE COUNTY BOARDS OF EDUCATION ESTABLISHED UNDER TITLE 25
3 OF THE EDUCATION ARTICLE. 26
HOUSE BILL 973 3
(b) A public body specified in subsection (a) of this section shal l make publicly 1
available on its website: 2
(1) each open meeting agenda, together with a summary of any finalized 3
documents, written testimony from the public, and other materials that the public body 4
will vote on at the open meeting: 5
(i) at least 48 hours in advance of each meeting; or 6
(ii) if the meeting is being held due to an emergency, a natural 7
disaster, or any other unanticipated situation, as far in advance of the meeting as 8
practicable; 9
(2) meeting minutes from the portions of a meeting that were held in open 10
session, not more than 2 business days after the minutes are approved; and 11
(3) subject to subsections (f) and (g) of this section, live video streaming of 12
each portion of a meeting that is held in open session. 13
(c) To the extent practicable, each open meeting agenda shall indicate: 14
(1) whether the public body intends to adjourn the open session to a closed 15
session; and 16
(2) if applicable, the expected time at which the public body intends to 17
adjourn the open session to a closed session. 18
(d) (1) The public body shall approve meeting minutes in a timely manner. 19
(2) Each open meeting agenda shall include consideration of the meeting 20
minutes from the most recent meeting. 21
(3) The requirement under paragraph (2) of this subsection does not apply 22
to the agenda of an emergency meeting of a public body if consideration of the meeting 23
minutes from the most recent meeting is not practicable because of the need to hold an 24
emergency meeting. 25
(e) The public body shall maintain on its website: 26
(1) meeting minutes made available under subsection (b) of this section for 27
a minimum of 5 years after the date of the meeting; and 28
(2) except as provided in subsections (f), (g), and (g –1) of this section, a 29
complete and unedited archived video recording of each open meeting for which live video 30
streaming was made available under subsection (b) of this section for a minimum of 1 year 31
after the date of the meeting. 32
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(E–1) THE PUBLIC BODY SHALL KEEP A COPY OF THE M INUTES OF EACH 1
SESSION AND ANY RECORDING MADE UNDER SUBSECTION (E)(2) OF THIS SECTION 2
FOR AT LEAST 15 YEARS AFTER THE DATE OF THE SESSION. 3
(f) (1) This subsection applies only to the Maryland Stadium Authority. 4
(2) If the Maryland Stadium Authority meets by telephone conference, the 5
Authority shall: 6
(i) make publicly available on its website live audio streaming of 7
each portion of the meeting that is held in open session; and 8
(ii) maintain on its website a complete and unedited archived audio 9
recording of each meet ing for which live audio streaming was made available for a 10
minimum of 1 year after the date of the meeting. 11
(g) (1) This subsection applies only to the Maryland Transportation Authority. 12
(2) The Maryland Transportation Authority is required to provid e live 13
video streaming of a meeting only if the meeting is held at: 14
(i) the headquarters of the Maryland Transportation Authority; or 15
(ii) a location where the Maryland Transportation Authority held at 16
least 10 meetings during the immediately preceding calendar year. 17
(g–1) The Maryland Department of Transportation, with respect to quarterly public 18
meetings held by the Vision Zero coordinator on the implementation of Vision Zero under § 19
8–1004 of the Transportation Article, shall maintain on its website a complete and unedited 20
archived video recording of the meeting for a minimum of 5 years after the date of the 21
meeting. 22
(h) The Department of Information Technology shall provide the technical staff, 23
support, and equipment necessary to livestream the open meetings of: 24
(1) the Maryland Transportation Authority; 25
(2) the State Board of Elections; and 26
(3) the State Ethics Commission. 27
(i) For purposes of this title, a project site visit or educational field tour may not 28
be considered a meeti ng of a public body listed under subsection (a) of this section if no 29
organizational business is conducted. 30
(j) Nothing in this section may be construed to prevent a public body from 31
altering the agenda of a meeting after the agenda has been made available to the public. 32
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(k) The requirements of this section are in addition to the other requirements of 1
this subtitle. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 3
October 1, 2026. 4