Notice and agendas

Notice and agendas

Covered bodies must give advance public notice, typically stating time, place and the matters to be considered. The notice period varies by state, and emergency meetings have shorter requirements with a correspondingly narrower definition of emergency.

Agenda specificity is a recurring dispute. An agenda item reading "personnel matters" tells the public nothing, and several states require enough detail that a member of the public can tell whether a matter of interest will be discussed. Action taken on a matter not properly noticed is frequently voidable.