When A Meeting Is Public
ORS 192.630 and ORS 192.640 — open to all, noticed in advance, and 24 hours for a special meeting
All meetings of the governing body of an Oregon public body are open to the public, and everyone may attend, except as the public meetings law provides. A quorum may not meet in private to decide or deliberate toward a decision on any matter.
Notice. Regular meetings are preceded by public notice, reasonably calculated to reach interested persons and the news media that asked for it, of the time, place and principal subjects. A special meeting needs at least 24 hours' notice; an emergency meeting may be held on less, but its minutes have to describe the emergency.
- Employment of a public officer or employee, and discipline of one who does not request an open hearing.
- Labor negotiations and real property transactions, through designated negotiators.
- Records exempt by law from public inspection.
- Consulting counsel about current or likely litigation.
- School safety, the safety of staff and facilities, and cyber security.
Those are among the subjects for which an executive session, closed to the public, may be held after the presiding officer identifies the authority for it. News media representatives may generally attend executive sessions, and no executive session may be held to take final action or make a final decision.
A governing body may not meet where discrimination is practiced or in a place inaccessible to people with disabilities, and makes a good faith effort to provide a sign language interpreter on 48 hours' notice. Public records and remedies for violations are in other sections not reproduced here. Whether a particular meeting complied is a question for a licensed Oregon attorney.
Sources for this section (3)
- ORS 192.630 — Meetings of governing body to be open to public
- ORS 192.640 — Public notice required
- ORS 192.660 — Executive sessions permitted on certain matters
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Oregon attorney.