What Are Your Rights?

Attending Meetings

The Florida Constitution and Sunshine Act give “the public” the right to attend the meetings of public collegial bodies, with exceptions for closed meetings discussed below. Florida law does not limit access to meetings to a specific category of people or a profession, such as “the traditional press.” Anyone may attend.

Florida law also recognizes a public right to comment during open meetings, but the public body holding the meeting may adopt reasonable rules and regulations to ensure the orderly conduct of meetings.

Notice

The right to attend meetings is not necessarily meaningful without proper notice of those meetings. To address this issue, Florida law requires covered boards, commissions, and other multi-member public bodies to give “reasonable notice” of their meetings to the public and the press. The law does not set out a specific time in advance before which a public body must give notice. Any amount of time will do if it is reasonable under the circumstances. The notice generally should include the time and place of the meeting and an agenda of the items to be discussed. The appropriate method of giving notice depends on the circumstances. In some instances, posting notice on a website or issuing a press release may be sufficient, but publication in local newspapers of general circulation may be required for matters of great public concern. You should check the websites of the Florida public bodies that you are interested in for notices and contact them to see if you can sign up for a mailing list or other targeted mechanism for delivering notice.

Citizen’s Guide to Government in the Sunshine (24 pg pdf)

Open Meetings pgs 6-12
Which Governmental Bodies Are Covered?
Does the Sunshine Law apply to the Governor and Cabinet?
What Legislative Meetings Are Covered?
Are Private Organizations Covered?
What Activities Are Covered?
Exemptions
How Should Government Provide Access?
What If a Meeting Is Improperly Closed?

Which Governmental Bodies are Covered?

County and city commissions;
· School boards;
· Planning and zoning boards;
· Appointed boards or commissions;
· Civil service boards;
· Regulatory boards, such as boards under the Department of
Professional Regulation;

University committees searching for presidents or deans;
· Private organizations providing services to public agencies, and
· Economic development boards.

If you seek entry to a meeting at which official matters are to be considered
and you are prohibited from entry, you should inform the presiding official
that: “Florida Statute 286.011, the
Government-in-the-Sunshine Law,
requires that all meetings of state or
local governmental boards or commissions be open to the public unless
there is a specific statutory exemption. If I am ordered to leave (or
forbidden to enter) this meeting, I ask
that you advise me of the statutory
authority for your action. Otherwise, I
must insist on my right to attend this
meeting.”

Government-in-the-Sunshine Manual (2021 Edition 375 page pdf)