THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
Sec. 1-226. (Formerly Sec. 1-21a). Recording,
broadcasting or photographing meetings.
(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).
(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.
(P.A. 67-851, §1; P.A. 69-706; P.A. 74-183, §161; P.A. 75-342, §12;
P.A. 76-435, §24; P.A. 76-436, §562; P.A. 77-609, §5; P.A. 78-280, §1).