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Maryland's Open Meetings Act
Lesson One - What is the Act?
Policy, Purpose, and Effect
The Maryland Open Meetings Act is contained in Title 10 Subtitle 5 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, State Government Article, §§ 10-501 through 10-512. Initially enacted in 1977 to foster transparency in government, both at the state and local levels, the Open Meetings Act strikes a balance between the need for openness in the conduct of public business and the need of public bodies to keep certain types of information confidential.
The Act begins with the Maryland General Assembly's statement of its legislative policy.
It is essential to the maintenance of a democratic society that, except in special and appropriate circumstances:
- public business be performed in an open and public manner; and
- citizens be allowed to observe:
- the performance of public officials; and the
- deliberations and decisions that the making of public policy involves.
