An amendment to a law that further outlines the right for the public to comment at governmental meetings occurred last year and is just now receiving attention, according to Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell who recently attended a meeting that examined the amendment.

House Bill 448 not only requires a specific period for public comment but also authorizes a governing body to place reasonable time restrictions on public comments...That was Toni Chadwick, Open Records Counsel in the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Open Records... Chadwick said the amendment does not specify if the public comment period should be before or after a vote, or before any proposed action is taken at a governmental meeting.

The law evidently emphasizes the importance of diverse viewpoints... The governing body will retain the authority to impose restrictions on time and the total number of speakers that can comment at each meeting...

Some meetings are not subject to the same rules and regulations... Gatherings lacking actionable items on the agenda are not subject to the law's stipulations, along with several other types of meetings...

You can read the full text of the legislation HERE.

State Government - "As enacted, requires governmental entities to provide a period of public comment for public meetings; authorizes the governmental entities to place reasonable restrictions on the period for public comment. - Amends TCA Title 8, Chapter 44, Part 1."