{"id":"MA-002","kind":"order","level":"state","jurisdiction":"Massachusetts","state":"MA","metro":"","industry":"","agency":"","eco":"","issuer":"Governor Charles D. Baker","authority":"St. 1950, c. 639, ss. 7, 8, 8A; G.L. c. 17, s. 2A","instrument":"COVID-19 Order No. 1","title":"Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, s. 20","dateIssued":"2020-03-12","effective":"2020-03-12, immediately","end":"Continued to June 15, 2021 by Order No. 69 s. 2(a); remote-meeting allowances continued by ch. 20 of the Acts of 2021, s. 20","startDate":"2020-03-12","endDate":"2021-09-30","quarters":["2020Q2","2020Q3","2020Q4","2021Q1","2021Q2","2021Q3"],"types":["CRT","GATH"],"addressees":["all public bodies (State and municipal)"],"clause":"A public body, as defined in section 18 of chapter 30A of the General Laws, is hereby relieved from the requirement of section 20 of chapter 30A that it conduct its meetings in a public place that is open and physically accessible to the public, provided that the public body makes provision to ensure public access to the deliberations of the public body for interested members of the public through adequate, alternative means.... Public bodies are hereby authorized to allow remote participation by all members in any meeting of the public body. The requirement that a quorum of the body and the chair be physically present at a specified meeting location, as provided in G.L. c. 30A, s. 20(d) and in 940 CMR 29.10(4)(b), is hereby suspended.","enforcement":"Open Meeting Law enforcement by the Attorney General otherwise unchanged (s. 4)","functions":["CRT permit boards, licensing boards, zoning and planning boards meeting remotely","BD/PJ public hearings and approvals moved online"],"notes":"Every permitting, licensing and zoning board in the Commonwealth met remotely under this order; ch. 20 of 2021 s. 20 continued the allowance after June 15, 2021.","sourceUrl":"https://www.mass.gov/doc/open-meeting-law-order-march-12-2020/download","snapshot":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200512223017/https://www.mass.gov/doc/open-meeting-law-order-march-12-2020/download","fileExists":true,"fileBytes":114941,"grade":"primary","character":"","description":"","collection":"MA","url":"/library/MA-002","exhibitUrl":"/exhibit/MA-002","citation":"Governor Charles D. Baker, COVID-19 Order No. 1 (Mar. 12, 2020) (Ex. MA-002)","stateName":"Massachusetts","related":["SEC-03-GM-051","MA-003","MA-001","MA-004","MA-005","MA-007","MA-006","MA-008","MA-010","MA-011","MA-012","MA-013"]}