§ 8-44-102 — Open meetings - "Governing body" defined - "Meeting" defined

(a) All meetings of any governing body are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times, except as provided by the Constitution of Tennessee. (b) (1) "Governing body" means: (A) The members of a public body which consists of two (2) or more members, excluding a county mayor in accordance with § 5-6-106(b)(1)(B) , with the authority to make decisions for or recommendations to a public body on policy or administration and also means a private nonprofit community organization eligible to receive funds from the community services block grant program under 42 U.S.C. §§ 9901 - 9926 . Any governing body so defined by this section shall remain so defined, notwithstanding the fact that such governing body may have designated itself as a negotiation committee for collective bargaining purposes, and strategy sessions of a governing body under such circumstances shall be open to the public at all times; (B) The board of directors of any nonprofit corporation which contracts with a state agency to receive community grant funds in consideration for rendering specified services to the public; provided, that community grant funds comprise at least thirty percent (30%) of the total annual income of such corporation. Except such meetings of the board of directors of such nonprofit corporation that are called solely to discuss matters involving confidential doctor-patient relationships, personnel matters or matters required to be kept confidential by federal or state law or by federal or state regulation shall not be covered under this chapter, and no other matter shall be discussed at such meetings; (C) The board of directors of any not-for-profit corporation authorized by the laws of Tennessee to act for the benefit or on behalf of any one (1) or more counties, cities, towns and local governments pursuant to title 7, chapter 54 or 58. This subdivision (b)(1)(C) shall not apply to any county with a metropolitan form of government and having a population of four hundred thousand (400,000) or more, according to the 1980 federal census or any subsequent federal census; (D) The board of directors of any nonprofit corporation which through contract or otherwise provides a metropolitan form of government having a population in excess of five hundred thousand (500,000), according to the 1990 federal census or any subsequent federal census, with heat, steam or incineration of refuse; (E) (i) The board of directors of any association or nonprofit corporation authorized by the laws of Tennessee that: (a) Was established for the benefit of local government officials or counties, cities, towns or other local governments or as a municipal bond financing pool; (b) Receives dues, service fees or any other income from local government officials or such local governments that constitute at least thirty percent (30%) of its total annual income; and (c) Was authorized as of January 1, 1998, under state law to obtain coverage for its employees in the Tennessee consolidated retirement system. (ii) This subdivision (b)(1)(E) shall not be construed to require the disclosure of a trade secret or proprietary information held or used by an association or nonprofit corporation to which this chapter applies. In the event a trade secret or proprietary information is required to be discussed in an open meeting, the association or nonprofit corporation may conduct an executive session to discuss such trade secret or proprietary information; provided, that a notice of the executive session is included in the agenda for such meeting. (iii) As used in this subdivision (b)(1)(E): (a) "Proprietary information" means rating information, plans, or proposals; actuarial information; specifications for specific services provided; and any other similar commercial or financial information used in making or deliberating toward a decision by employees, agents or the board of directors of such association or corporation; and which if known to a person or entity outside the association or corporation would give such person or entity an advantage or an opportunity to gain an advantage over the association or corporation when providing or bidding to provide the same or similar services to local governments; and (b) "Trade secret" means the whole or any portion or phrase of any scientific or technical information, design, process, procedure, formula or improvement which is secret and of value. The trier of fact may infer a trade secret to be secret when the owner thereof takes measures to prevent it from becoming available to persons other than those selected by the owner to have access thereto for limited purposes. (2) "Meeting" means the convening of a governing body of a public body to make a decision or to deliberate toward a decision on any matter. "Meeting" does not include any on-site inspection of any project or program. (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed as to require a chance meeting of two (2) or more members of a public body to be considered a public meeting. No such chance meetings, informal assemblages, or electronic communication shall be used to decide or deliberate public business in circumvention of the spirit or requirements of this part. (d) Notwithstanding subsection (a), one (1) or more members of a local legislative body who meet with one (1) or more members of the state legislative delegation that represent the county or city is not a meeting under this section; provided, that the meeting is an exchange of information and not deliberative in nature or the member or members of the state legislative delegation conduct the meeting to discuss state matters. A meeting under this subsection (d) must not be used to decide or deliberate public business in circumvention of the spirit or requirements of this part.

Legislative History

Amended by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 1030,s 2, eff. 5/28/2024. Amended by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 818,s 1, eff. 4/29/2024. Amended by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 580,s 2, eff. 3/15/2024. Amended by 2018 Tenn. Acts, ch. 545, s 1, eff. 3/9/2018. Acts 1974, ch. 442, § 2; 1979, ch. 411, §§ 1, 2; T.C.A., § 8-4402; Acts 1985, ch. 290, § 1, 2; 1986, ch. 594, § 1; 1988, ch. 908, §§ 3, 5; 1997 , ch. 346, § 1; 1998, ch. 1102, §§ 1, 3.