§ 42-46-4 - Closed meetings. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 42-46-4

   § 42-46-4  Closed meetings. – (a) By open call, a public body may hold a meeting closed to the public upon anaffirmative vote of the majority of its members. A meeting closed to the publicshall be limited to matters allowed to be exempted from discussion at openmeetings by § 42-46-5. The vote of each member on the question of holdinga meeting closed to the public and the reason for holding a closed meeting, bya citation to a subdivision of § 42-46-5(a), and a statement specifyingthe nature of the business to be discussed, shall be recorded and entered intothe minutes of the meeting. No public body shall discuss in closed session anypublic matter which does not fall within the citations to § 42-46-5(a)referred to by the public body in voting to close the meeting, even if thesediscussions could otherwise be closed to the public under this chapter.

   (b) All votes taken in closed sessions shall be disclosedonce the session is reopened; provided, however, a vote taken in a closedsession need not be disclosed for the period of time during which itsdisclosure would jeopardize any strategy, negotiation or investigationundertaken pursuant to discussions conducted under § 42-46-5(a).