From the Hotline

By Teri Henning, General Counsel
Pennsylvania Newspaper Association

Q: What are the rules regarding “emergency meetings” under the Sunshine Act?

A: The Sunshine Act contemplates three types of meetings: regular meetings, special meetings, and emergency meetings. Regular meetings are those that are scheduled at or near the beginning of the year. Special meetings are meetings that are scheduled after the regular schedule of meetings has been established. Emergency meetings are permitted only where there is a "real or potential emergency involving a clear and present danger to life or property."

Both regular and special meetings require prior notice to the public, including publication of the notice in a newspaper of general circulation and the posting of the notice at the agency’s office or meeting place. Advance notice is not required for emergency meetings, but: 1) they must meet the statutory definition of “real or potential emergency involving a clear and present danger to life or property”; and 2) they are open to the public.

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