(a) At any meeting of a public agency which is open to the public, pursuant to the provisions of section 1-225, proceedings of such public agency may be recorded, photographed, broadcast or recorded for broadcast, subject to such rules as such public agency may have prescribed prior to such meeting, by any person or by any newspaper, radio broadcasting company or television broadcasting company. Any recording, radio, television or photographic equipment may be so located within the meeting room as to permit the recording, broadcasting either by radio, or by television, or by both, or the photographing of the proceedings of such public agency. The photographer or broadcaster and its personnel, or the person recording the proceedings, shall be required to handle the photographing, broadcast or recording as inconspicuously as possible and in such manner as not to disturb the proceedings of the public agency. As used herein the term television shall include the transmission of visual and audible signals by cable.
(b) Any such public agency may adopt rules governing such recording, photography or the use of such broadcasting equipment for radio and television stations but, in the absence of the adoption of such rules and regulations by such public agency prior to the meeting, such recording, photography or the use of such radio and television equipment shall be permitted as provided in subsection (a) of this section.
(c) Whenever there is a violation or the probability of a violation of subsections (a) and (b) of this section the superior court, or a judge thereof, for the judicial district in which such meeting is taking place shall, upon application made by affidavit that such violation is taking place or that there is reasonable probability that such violation will take place, issue a temporary injunction against any such violation without notice to the adverse party to show cause why such injunction should not be granted and without the plaintiff's giving bond. Any person or public agency so enjoined may immediately appear and be heard by the court or judge granting such injunction with regard to dissolving or modifying the same and, after hearing the parties and upon a determination that such meeting should not be open to the public, said court or judge may dissolve or modify the injunction. Any action taken by a judge upon any such application shall be immediately certified to the court to which such proceedings are returnable.
(1967, P.A. 851, S. 1, 2; 1969, P.A. 706; P.A. 74-183, S. 161, 291; P.A. 75-342, S. 12; P.A. 76-435, S. 24, 82; 76-436, S. 562, 681; P.A. 77-609, S. 5, 8; P.A. 78-280, S. 1, 127; P.A. 05-288, S. 3.)
History: 1969 act added Subsec. (c); P.A. 74-183 changed “circuit court” to “court of common pleas” and “circuit” to “county or judicial district”; P.A. 75-342 amended section to specifically include photography and newspaper coverage of open meetings and cable transmissions; P.A. 76-435 made technical changes; P.A. 76-436 changed “court of common pleas” to “superior court”, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-609 allowed recording equipment at open meetings; P.A. 78-280 deleted “county”; Sec. 1-21a transferred to Sec. 1-226 in 1999; P.A. 05-288 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 13, 2005.
Annotations to former section 1-21a:
Cited. 174 C. 308; 181 C. 324; 182 C. 142; 184 C. 102; 190 C. 235; 192 C. 310; 204 C. 609; 205 C. 767; 206 C. 449; 207 C. 698; 208 C. 442; 209 C. 204; 210 C. 590; Id., 646; 212 C. 100; 213 C. 126; Id., 216; 214 C. 312; 216 C. 253; 217 C. 153; Id., 193; 218 C. 256; Id., 757; 220 C. 225; 221 C. 217; Id., 300; Id., 393; Id., 482; Id., 549; 222 C. 621; 228 C. 158; Id., 271.
Cited. 2 CA 600; 4 CA 468; 14 CA 380; judgment reversed, see 210 C. 646; 16 CA 49; 19 CA 352; Id., 539; 20 CA 671; 22 CA 316; 29 CA 821; 35 CA 111; 37 CA 589; 42 CA 402; 43 CA 133.
Cited. 41 CS 31; Id., 267; 42 CS 84; Id., 129; Id., 291.
Subsec. (a):
Cited. 42 CA 402. Parties to a grievance arbitration hearing do not have right pursuant to section to tape record the proceedings. 43 CA 133.
Annotation to present section:
Subsec. (a):
Section's recording provisions inapplicable to grievance arbitration proceedings. 244 C. 487.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Title 1 - Provisions of General Application
Chapter 14 - Freedom of Information Act
Section 1-200. (Formerly Sec. 1-18a). - Definitions.
Section 1-205. (Formerly Sec. 1-21j). - Freedom of Information Commission.
Section 1-205a. - Recommended appropriations. Allotments.
Section 1-210. (Formerly Sec. 1-19). - Access to public records. Exempt records.
Section 1-212. (Formerly Sec. 1-15). - Copies and scanning of public records. Fees.
Section 1-215a. - Liability for disclosure of law enforcement records.
Section 1-219. - Veterans' military records.
Section 1-225a. - Meetings of public agencies conducted by electronic equipment.
Section 1-226. (Formerly Sec. 1-21a). - Recording, broadcasting or photographing meetings.
Section 1-228. (Formerly Sec. 1-21d). - Adjournment of meetings. Notice.
Section 1-229. (Formerly Sec. 1-21e). - Continued hearings. Notice.
Section 1-231. (Formerly Sec. 1-21g). - Executive sessions.
Section 1-232. (Formerly Sec. 1-21h). - Conduct of meetings.