HR45: Video &audio transmission of daily sessions of House of Delegates; procedures to be adopted.

HR45

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 45 Offered January 10, 2007 Prefiled January 9, 2007 Directing the House Committee on Rules to adopt procedures that provide for video and audio transmission of the daily sessions of the House of Delegates to the citizens of the Commonwealth. ---------- Patron-- Landes ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

WHEREAS, the number of states that provide coverage of their state legislatures continues to grow; and

WHEREAS, as of February 2006, live proceedings of floor sessions from 40 states and approximately three-fourths of the nation's 99 legislative chambers were available on the Internet; and

WHEREAS, citizens in these states have the expanded opportunity to view their legislature in the convenience of their homes and places of work; and

WHEREAS, the Senate of Virginia recently opened its floor sessions for video streaming over the Internet and public television coverage; and

WHEREAS, the House of Delegates provides a closed circuit broadcast of floor sessions to the buildings of Capitol Square in downtown Richmond but otherwise does not provide access to the public, through either the Internet or public television, for viewing the House of Delegates' proceedings; and

WHEREAS, having informed and engaged citizens requires openness and ready access to government proceedings; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the House Committee on Rules adopt procedures that provide for video and audio transmission of the daily sessions of the House of Delegates to the citizens of the Commonwealth. In considering methods of video and audio transmission, the Committee shall include electronic transmission such as webcasts, as well as public television; and be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the House Committee on Rules establish a one-year pilot project of such webcasts and telecasts no later than the first day of the 2008 Regular Session of the General Assembly, which will be evaluated during the 2008 interim as to its success; and be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates, under the direction of the House Committee on Rules, shall disseminate to broadcasting interests information regarding the rules of access and use of transmissions of the sessions of the House of Delegates.

Explanation

For a plain English description of this bill, comments, voting, tagging, etc., return to the main page for HR45.

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Words that are highlighted in yellow are proposed additions to the existing law, and words that are ~~crossed out in red~~ are proposed to be removed from the existing law.

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