CHAPTER 709

H.P. 1456 - L.D. 1957

An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Committee To

Study Compliance with Maine's Freedom of Access Laws

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 1 MRSA §405, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1975, c. 758, is amended to read:

4. Motion contents. A motion to go into executive session shall must indicate the precise nature of the business of the executive session and include a citation of one or more sources of statutory or other authority that permits an executive session for that business. Failure to state all authorities justifying the executive session does not constitute a violation of this subchapter if one or more of the authorities are accurately cited in the motion.__An inaccurate citation of authority for an executive session does not violate this subchapter if valid authority that permits the executive session exists and the failure to cite the valid authority was inadvertent.

Sec. 2. 1 MRSA §408, as enacted by PL 1975, c. 758, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

§408. Public records available for public inspection and copying

1.__Right to inspect and copy.__Except as otherwise provided by statute, every person has the right to inspect and copy any public record during the regular business hours of the agency or official having custody of the public record within a reasonable

period of time after making a request to inspect or copy the public record.