§ 2-574 — Definitions.

District of Columbia § 2-574

• Jurisdiction: District of Columbia
• Title 2: Government Administration.
• Ch. 5: Administrative Procedure.
• Subch. IV: Open Meetings.

Text

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by temporary legislation that will expire on March 29, 2026. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation, click this link: Permanent Version .*

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term:

(A) "Meeting" means any gathering of a quorum of the members of a public body, including hearings and roundtables, whether formal or informal, regular, special, or emergency, at which the members consider, conduct, or advise on public business, including gathering information, taking testimony, discussing, deliberating, recommending, and voting, regardless of whether held in person, by telephone, electronically, or by other means of communication.

(B) The term "meeting" shall not include:

(i) A chance or social gathering; provided, that it is not held to avoid the provisions of this paragraph; or

(ii) A press conference.

(C) For the purposes of the Council of the District of Columbia, the term "meeting" means a regular or additional legislative meeting, and committee meetings where votes are taken.

(2) "Office of Open Government" means the Office of Open Government established by § 1-1162.05b .

(3) “Public body” means any government council, including the Council of the District of Columbia, board, commission, or similar entity, including a board of directors of an instrumentality, a board which supervises or controls an agency, the board of trustees of a public charter school, or an advisory body that takes official action by the vote of its members convened for such purpose. The term “public body” shall not include:

(A) A District agency or instrumentality (other than the board which supervises or controls an agency or the board of directors of an instrumentality);

(B) The District of Columbia courts;

(C) Repealed.

(D) The Mayor’s cabinet;

(E) The professional or administrative staff of public bodies when they meet outside the presence of a quorum of those bodies;

(F) Advisory Neighborhood Commissions; provided, that this subchapter shall not affect the requirements set forth in § 1-309.11 ; or

(G) The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

Legislative History

Oct. 21, 1968, Pub. L. 90-614, title IV, § 404; as added Mar. 31, 2011, D.C. Law 18-350, § 2, 58 DCR 734