Allows a pregnant member or member that has given birth in the past six (6) months to appear remotely and permits any member that participates in a meeting remotely to vote at that meeting, provided that the meeting is held in person.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would change Rhode Island's open meetings rules to allow a government body member who is pregnant or has given birth within the last six months to join official meetings remotely — for example, by video call — instead of having to be physically present. Currently, open meetings laws may require members to attend in person to fully participate, so this change would create a specific exception for these circumstances.

Importantly, the bill also addresses voting rights for remote participants. Under this proposal, any member who joins a meeting remotely would be allowed to cast votes during that meeting, as long as the meeting itself is being held in person (meaning it is not an entirely virtual meeting). This ensures that a pregnant member or a member recovering from childbirth does not lose their ability to vote on official matters simply because they are attending from a distance.

This bill would affect elected and appointed members of public government bodies in Rhode Island — such as town councils, school boards, commissions, and other official bodies covered by the state's open meetings law. It is designed to make public service more accessible for members dealing with pregnancy or postpartum recovery, allowing them to continue representing their constituents without interruption during that period of their lives.

The bill has been introduced and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it will be reviewed before any further action is taken.