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S. B. No. 2259 *SS36/R800PS* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
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To: Government Structure
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Boyd, McCaughn, Williams
SENATE BILL NO. 2259
(As Passed the Senate)
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 25-41-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
REQUIRE OFFICIAL MEETINGS OF STATE AGENCIES, WITH EXCEPTIONS, TO 2
BE BROADCAST VIA VIDEO LIVESTREAMING APPLICATIONS ON THE FRONT 3
PAGE OF THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF EACH RESPECTIVE AGENCY; TO REQUIRE 4
CERTAIN INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN ALL PUBLIC NOTICES; TO 5
PROVIDE THAT ANY ACTION TAKEN BY A STATE AGENCY FAILING TO USE DUE 6
DILIGENCE TO COMPLY WITH LIVESTREAMING REQUIREMENTS IS SUBJECT TO 7
THE PROVISIONS AND PENALTIES IN SECTION 25-41-15; TO PROVIDE 8
BACKUP PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS IF TECHNOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES MAKE 9
LIVESTREAMING A MEETING IMPRACTICABLE; TO PROVIDE A DEADLINE FOR 10
LIVESTREAMING IMPLEMENTATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 11
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 12
SECTION 1. Section 25-41-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 13
amended as follows: 14
25-41-5. (1) All official meetings of any public body, 15
unless otherwise provided in this chapter or in the Constitutions 16
of the United States of America or the State of Mississippi, are 17
declared to be public meetings and shall be open to the public at 18
all times unless declared an executive session as provided in 19
Section 25-41-7. 20
(2) A public body may conduct any meeting through 21
teleconference or video means. A quorum of a public body as 22
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prescribed by law may be at different locations for the purpose of 23
conducting a meeting through teleconference or video means 24
provided that the equipment used is located at the place where the 25
public body normally meets or at a public location specified in 26
any notice of a special meeting, and provided that the equipment 27
allows all members of the public body and members of the public 28
who attend the meeting to hear the deliberations of the public 29
body. 30
(3) An agenda and materials that will be distributed to 31
members of the public body and that have been made available to 32
the staff of the public body in sufficient time for duplication 33
and forwarding to the members of the public body shall be made 34
available to the public at the time of the meeting. Votes taken 35
during any meeting conducted through teleconference or video means 36
shall be taken in a manner that is clearly audible or visible to 37
all members of the public body and to members of the public 38
present at the public location. 39
(4) In addition to the requirements of subsections (1), (2) 40
and (3) of this section, except for executive sessions and other 41
meetings expressly authorized by law to be closed, regular and 42
special meetings of all state agencies shall be broadcast via 43
video livestreaming applications on the front page of the official 44
website of each respective agency or on a designated government 45
channel. Public notices of such meetings shall also be broadcast 46
online in the same manner and shall contain the agenda of matters 47
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to be discussed at the respective meeting in sufficient detail as 48
to notify the public of what will be discussed, and the online 49
link shall be included in all public notices. Each state agency 50
shall transmit its online streaming link to the Department of 51
Finance and Administration which shall maintain a comprehensive 52
list of website streaming links of all state agencies for public 53
use. Any action of a state agency taken at a meeting and the 54
state agency fails to use due diligence to comply with the public 55
notice of the agenda to be discussed or fails to use due diligence 56
to comply with the livestreaming broadcasting requirement pursuant 57
to this subsection (4) shall be subject to the provisions and 58
penalties provided in Section 25-41-15. In the event that 59
technological difficulties make the livestreaming requirements 60
established by this subsection (4) impracticable, state agencies 61
shall record the meeting, and then post the recording of the 62
meeting and the minutes of the meeting on the front page of the 63
official website of each respective agency, or on a designated 64
government channel, as soon as reasonably possible. The meeting 65
minutes posted on the front page of the official website of each 66
respective state agency, or on a designated government channel, 67
should disclose the reason(s) why the meeting was not successfully 68
livestreamed. This subsection (4) shall be applicable to state 69
agencies only. This subsection (4) shall not apply to the 70
Legislature or any of its component units, the judiciary or any of 71
its component units. State agencies subject to the provisions of 72
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ST: "The Peoples Access Act"; require official
meetings to be broadcast via video livestream
applications, with exceptions.
this section shall archive meeting recordings for at least 73
twenty-four (24) months. This subsection (4) may be cited and 74
referred to as "The Peoples Access Act." 75
(5) In regard to the requirements provided in subsection (4) 76
of this section, state agencies shall be required to comply by 77
January 1, 2027. 78
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 79
and after January 1, 2027. 80