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The guidance details definitions of “governmental body” and “meeting,” standards for when communications or electronic exchanges count as meetings, and notice duties, including timing and required information. 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Limited exemptions permit confidentiality, and the statute must be broadly interpreted to promote transparency.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How does the law define a “governmental body”?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"It includes state or local agencies and collective entities created by constitution, statute, ordinance, rule, or order, including advisory bodies and certain corporate entities, while generally excluding a group of administrative staff.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"When can electronic or remote communication count as a “meeting”?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Meetings are not limited to face-to-face presence. If members can effectively communicate and exercise delegated authority, including via emails, calls, texts, or video conferencing chats, it may qualify; the key question is how closely communications resemble face-to-face exchange.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},254373,1791740109,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,93,98,103,108,113,118,123],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},11,90,"presentations",{"id":89,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":90,"show_sort_weight":91,"slug":92},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":94,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":95,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":97},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":99,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":100,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":102},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":104,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":109,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":114,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":115,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":119,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":124,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":126},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":128},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":129,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":22,"category_id":85,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":94,"language":136,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":140,"read_time":121},34359740700684,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/1f400023980c374ae676?_k=1777273430885731487","Division of Forensic Science Submission Advisory Committee Meeting  \nWisconsin Department of Justice  \nOpen Meetings Law Essentials  \nOffice of Open Government  \nDivision of Forensic Sciences  \nSubmission Advisory Committee Meeting Tuesday, March 23, 2021 (Remote Meeting)  \n[https://www.doj.state.wi.us/](https://www.doj.state.wi.us/)  \nGovernment Transparency  \n“Transparency and oversight are essential to honest, ethical governance .” John K. MacIver Inst. for Pub. Policy, Inc. v. Erpenbach, 2014 WI App 49, ¶ 32, 354 Wis. 2d 61, 848 N.W.2d 862  \nWisconsin Open Meetings Law, Wis . Stat. §§ 19.81 to 19.98  \n• The purpose of the open meetings law is to ensure openness  \n• Only a few limited exemptions permit confidentiality  \n• The open meetings law is to be broadly interpreted to promote openness  \n[https://www.doj.state.wi.us/](https://www.doj.state.wi.us/)  \nTransparency During COVID-19  \nImportant: An authority’s obligations under the public records law and a governmental body’s obligations under the open meetings law do not cease because of the COVID-19 public health situation .  \n[https://www.doj.state.wi.us/](https://www.doj.state.wi.us/)  \nPublic Policy  \n“In recognition of the fact that a representative government of the American type is dependent upon an informed electorate, it is declared to be the policy of this state that the public is entitled to the fullest and most complete information regarding the affairs of government as is compatible with the conduct of governmental business .”  \n—Wis . Stat. § 19.81(1)  \n[https://www.doj.state.wi.us/](https://www.doj.state.wi.us/)  \nEssentials  \n• Generally, the open meetings law requires that all meetings of governmental bodies:  \n• must be preceded by public notice;  \nAND  \n• must be publicly held in a place that is reasonably accessible and open at all times to all members of the public;  \n• except in limited situations in which a closed session is specifically authorized.  \n• Note: For additional information regarding the open meetings law, including closed sessions, please see DOJ’s Wisconsin Open Meetings Law Compliance Guide .  \n[https://www.doj.state.wi.us/](https://www.doj.state.wi.us/)  \nGovernmental Body  \n• “‘Governmental body’ means a state or local agency, board, commission, council, department or public body corporate and politic created by constitution, statute, ordinance, rule or order . . . .” Wis . Stat. § 19.82(1) .  \n• Translation:  \n• Any kind of collective governmental entity (state or local level) .  \n• Created by constitution, statute, ordinance, rule or order.  \n• Without regard to what that entity is called (i.e ., a board, commission, committee, council, etc.) .  \n• Includes purely advisory bodies, governmental corporations, quasi-governmental corporations, and formally constituted subunits  \n• Generally, a governmental body does not include a group of administrative staff of a government agency.  \n[https://www.doj.state.wi.us/](https://www.doj.state.wi.us/)  \nMeeting  \n• “‘Meeting’ means the convening of members of a governmental body for the purpose of exercising the responsibilities, authority, power or duties delegated to or vested in the body.” Wis . Stat. § 19.82(1) .  \n• Showers Test: Two-part test to determine if a meeting occurred. State ex rel. Newspapers v. Showers, 135 Wis. 2d 77, 398 N.W.2d 154 (1987) .  \n• Members convene for the purpose of conducting governmental business  \n• Number of members present is sufficient to determine the body's course of action  \n• Includes negative quorums  \n[https://www.doj.state.wi.us/](https://www.doj.state.wi.us/)  \nMeeting, continued  \n• Meetings are not limited to face-to-face gatherings or physical presence together .  \n• Includes situations in which members are able to effectively communicate with each other and exercise the body’s authority.  \n• Examples: written correspondence, telephone calls, emails, texts, video-conferencing chats, other electronic forms of communication  \n• If members commun","cbCaiblcXXEgJMQU","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiblcXXEgJMQU","pdf",1309548,"English","# Government Transparency\n## Transparency During COVID-19\n# Public Policy\n# Essentials\n## Notice Requirements\n# Governmental Body\n# Meeting\n## Showers Test and Quorum Concepts\n## Communication Methods That May Count as Meetings","[{\"question\":\"What is the purpose of Wisconsin’s open meetings law?\",\"answer\":\"The law ensures openness in government. Limited exemptions permit confidentiality, and the statute must be broadly interpreted to promote transparency.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the law define a “governmental body”?\",\"answer\":\"It includes state or local agencies and collective entities created by constitution, statute, ordinance, rule, or order, including advisory bodies and certain corporate entities, while generally excluding a group of administrative staff.\"},{\"question\":\"When can electronic or remote communication count as a “meeting”?\",\"answer\":\"Meetings are not limited to face-to-face presence. If members can effectively communicate and exercise delegated authority, including via emails, calls, texts, or video conferencing chats, it may qualify; the key question is how closely communications resemble face-to-face exchange.\"}]","Wisconsin Open Meetings Law Essentials - Submission Advisory Committee Meeting | PDF",1789278123]